This discussion is focused on site-teams and shared-decision-making in our public schools. The Winona Area Public Schools have had a fairly long history in this area. The most recent policy revision was done in 1998.
shared-decision-making in the Winona Area Public schools is based on the belief that the instructional program for students can be improved and student achievement can be enhanced by effective site teams in each building. Increasing stakeholder commitment goes a long way in ensuring that schools are more responsive to the needs of their students and community. Ownership and high quality decisions are the expected end result of decisions made by a representative building site team.
In our system each site team is composed of teachers, administration, parents, support staff, a business and industry person, a students (middle school and high school). The policy also states that no single group can comprise more than 49% of the site team.
Our policy encourages site teams to take risks and try new methods of improving student achievement. A site team can generate a larger number of alternative and innovative approaches to issues than one or two people working in an authoritative model of decision making.
Effective site team operation places new demands on members of the site team and administration. Time commitments and increased workloads are two of the more common concerns I hear from site team members.
Most of the concerns I hear about site teams relates to the scope of site team authority under the present policy.
Site teams shall be given the authority and opportunity to determine the following areas for their buildings. All decisions and determinations must follow master contracts, Board Policy, state and federal laws.
1. Expenditure of funds available to the building.
2. Participation in selection and mentoring of staff; transfers excluded.
3. Implementation of the approved district curriculum.
4. Establishment of building goals.
5. Establishment of building staff development priorities.
6. Other building areas involving the instructional program or student achievement.
The other area of concern is the limitations placed on site teams by the policy.
Site teams cannot independently change an area of operation that is a districtwide function. Districtwide functions are those areas of operation that either impact all sites in the district, or are areas which require School Board approval. Examples include, but are not limited to, budget allocation to sites, districtwide staffing allocations, districtwide assessments and records requirements, transportation and food service. District administration will make every effort to work with site teams who wish to study, change or try something new which affects a districtwide function; however, site teams will need to work with the Superintendent to determine if these types of changes can be attempted.
Some suggestions for Shared-Decision-Making were found in ERIC Digest, Number 87 and authored by Lynn Balster Liontos,
* Start small, go slowly.
* Agree on specifics at the outset. There is no single "right" way to do shared-decision-making;
* Be clear about procedures, roles, and expectations. Lack of clarity leads to lack of progress with shared-decision-making
* Give everyone a chance to get involved. Decisions made by administrative appointees as opposed to elected or volunteer representatives may be perceived as top-down decisions.
* Build trust and support. If mistrust and apprehension exist between administrators and teachers, shared-decision-making is not easily accepted.
One of the questions Steve Kranz asked me to address was…"Do site teams represent values that are important to how our schools are managed?"
My answer is a qualified "Yes". If…
-the site team membership reflects the values of all the stakeholder groups identified in the policy
-a high degree of trust and respect of all members is exhibited at meetings
-activities of the site team are focused on improving the instructional program to increase student achievement.
I am looking forward to hearing from the rest of the participants in this important exercise. The results of this discussion will be shared with members of the Meet and Confer Committee that will be reviewing our present site team policy.
Eric Bartleson
