Madrone Trail Public Charter School Parent Council Guidelines

I.                   Introduction

By formally structuring our Parent Council, we intend to make transparent the operation, governance and communication channels of our group. The underlying purpose of delineating the following is to simply build better relationships by understanding each other’s needs and sharing information.

II.   Mission

The Parent Council of Madrone Trail Public Charter School serves as the grassroots support of our school and school community. In collaboration with faculty, administration, board of directors, students and families, we help to weave the fiber of support that creates a cohesive school community. Through our clear communication and processes, guided by principals from many philosophies including Waldorf, we model a working dynamic for our children that directly serves them and encourages the growth of our school.

III.   Goals

§        Sponsor school committees, cultural activities, social activities, teacher/administration appreciation events and fundraising events in collaboration with school administrators and the faculty.

§        Facilitate communication between parents and the administration, parents and faculty, parents and the board, and each other.

§        Contribute to a positive, safe and supportive learning environment for the students.

§        Inspire and motivate parent and community initiative and participation.

§        Act as the hub for volunteer leadership, direction and follow-through.

IV.  Structure

The Parent Council is open to all parents or guardians of the school. Once your child is a participating student, the following applies:

§         Automatic membership in the Parent Council

§         Invited to attend all Parent Council Meetings

§         Invited to participate in various volunteer activities

§         Eligible to serve as Class Parent Representative, Council Officers, Committee Chairs or organizers, or other positions that are created by the council. 

A.               Parent Council Meetings

 §         The Parent Council will meet at least once per month from September through June, and may meet by agreement during the summer months. Meetings are scheduled for ___________________ (day of the month), from ­______ (time of day) unless otherwise decided at a previous meeting.

§ An “open aire” session will be built into every agenda. Time limits are ______________, (written in as to the Council’s need’s for time management purposes).

§           A rough agenda will be announced at least 2 days before the meeting via email and/or newsletter.  Meeting Notes will be announced within 5 days after each meeting.

§          Reports are made by each volunteer group leader, progress is tracked, and discussion is facilitated to make decisions based on needed action.

§           Meetings will be facilitated by the designated facilitator, usually the Council Chairperson(s).  Roles of timekeeper and “vision holder” may also be assigned as needed or desired. The “vision holder” will keep in mind the school’s mission statement and the Council mission statement, and will bring them to the groups’ attention when they observe the discussion straying too far from those mission statements.

§          Those in attendance fall into one of the categories of participation listed below:

1.     Parent

2.     Class Parent Representative

3.     Parent Council Office

4.     Parent Council Committee Chair

5.     Representative from Faculty, Board, and/or Administration

B.                 Roles

1.     Parent

a.     Membership: All parents, grandparents or guardians with children currently enrolled in Madrone Trail PCS are automatically members of the Parent Council.

b.     Role: To stay engaged and informed to support the work of the Parent Council

c.      Responsibilities/Job Description: Know your class representatives names and how to contact them; read the Parent Council meeting notes and stay informed on current Council activities; consider volunteering for various announced projects or positions; communicate with the Council and your class reps. any questions, concerns, thoughts or ideas you may have.

2.     Class Parent Representative

a.     Membership:1- 2 parents from each grade, including Kindergarten, as formalized in a Parent Council Meeting.

b.     Role: Serve as the eyes, ears and heart of the class by providing a conduit of communication between the class and the Parent Council.

c.       Responsibilities/Job Description: Attend all Parent Council meetings and class meetings; Assist the teacher in organizing volunteers for class activities; Bring classroom needs, concerns and requests to the Council; Furnish weekly reports from the class and teacher for the school newsletter; Help recruit volunteers while motivating and supporting them; Organize and maintain class phone and email lists; Support the teachers. 2-3 hours per week expected time investment. Term is one school year.

3.     Parent Council Officers

a.     Membership: Nominated by Council Members on a yearly term basis. Voted on using a write-in process. These include Chairperson, Volunteer Coordinator, and Communicator (Secretary). They can also be split between two co- Chairpersons

b.     Role: To work with the school community to strengthen our school, commitment to Waldorf methods and facilitate action-oriented initiatives; to maintain and uphold the process for our Parent Council activities and organizational structure under the premise of the Madrone Trail school’s and Council’s mission statements; and to provide leadership and support for the families of our school.

c.      Responsibilities/Job Description (As a Team): Attend all Parent Council meetings; Draft agenda for meetings; Reinforce agreed upon meeting formats and organizational structure; make sure all committee and office positions are filled on a yearly basis; communicate council decisions and meeting notes to the school community; represent the parents and families of Madrone Trail with integrity and confidentiality unless not indicated; communicate with the Board, faculty and administration on a regular basis. A Parent Council Representative may report during and must attend MTPCS board meetings. Term is one year, with a 3-5 hour per week time investment.

The following positions may also be covered by Parent Council Co-Chair(s)

Chairperson: Facilitate Council meetings using consensus-based process for decision making; communicate with the school and public community as the representing voice of the Council; Act as hub of communication for the Council itself; draft and refine policies, procedures and vision for the Parent Council in conjunction with Communicator.

Volunteer Coordinator: Act as ambassador to potential and new volunteers by educating them on volunteer rights, process and duties; formulate job descriptions for volunteer duties with help of Chairperson and Council input; Coordinate volunteer efforts to prevent overlap and burn-out; communicate volunteer needs on a weekly basis for the school newsletter and provide many opportunities to thank our helpers.

Communicator: Records meeting notes and presents them to school community via email or newsletter within 3 days of meeting; Logs attendance at Council meetings; Makes necessary announcements via email or newsletter; works in assistance with other committees and Council Chair to update Council By-Laws; Maintains school database in conjunction with administration/Board; helps maintain Council webpage; and makes sure meetings and events are posted on the school calendar.

For Parent Council Offices and Class Parent Reps:

 Letters will go out to school community in March, April or May announcing positions in need of filling

**See Appendix B for Volunteer Bill of Rights

E.   Fundraising and Expense Reimbursements

§        During the year, every funded event or activity will have a designated coordinator. Coordinators are responsible for planning and executing the event or activity so that expenses are kept within the approved budgeted amount. Anyone wanting to incur an expense for an event or activity for which they will want reimbursement must first get that expense approved by the event or activity coordinator. Reimbursement requests should be submitted on the approved form to the office and must be accompanied by an original receipt for the amount requested.

V. Processes

A. Ideas and Initiatives- The following is the process for bringing forward new ideas and proposals.

          1. Preliminary Exploration: Anyone can solicit support for an idea among parents, faculty, administration, the Board, or at a Council meeting when the agenda is being reviewed and finalized at the start of meeting.

          2. Development: Proposals can be made verbally or in writing, depending on the magnitude and impact of the idea. An existing committee or new committee can be formed to manage and evaluate the proposal. Working ideas may be reported via email, webpage, or newsletter, to help prevent overlap and encourage input from diverse perspectives.

          3. Decision-Making: If the proposal decision can be made by the committee, then they proceed with clear communication and then announce their decision. If the decision concerns the larger Council and school community, then it is brought to Council under the terms of Consensus-Based* decision making. If a decision cannot be made in one meeting, it will be “Seasoned” until the next meeting. At that point it will be negated if no decision can be agreed upon and a new proposal formulated if desired.

B. Concerns and Conflicts

          1. The Madrone Trail Public Charter School Guidelines, as set forth in the Parent Handbook, shall be utilized and reinforced by the Parent Council when the situation warrants action

          2. The Parent Council Chairperson is the main point person for conflict resolution, deferring to the administration and/or Board as needed.

          3. Concerns in writing will be brought directly to the responsible body including the faculty chair, Board President, and/or Administrative director.

* See Appendix B for guidelines on consensus based decision making

Appendix B

The Consensus Process
First, a proposal is made. The group first raises any questions needed to clarify the proposal, and then discusses how well they think the proposal addresses the issues. Minor objections may be addressed by modifying the proposal; major objections may require the group to set aside the existing proposal and bring forward an alternate proposal to consider.

The goal of consensus-building, unlike majority voting, is to hear all sides of an issue and make space for dissent. Ideally, a well-run consensus process allows members to raise objections and encourages the group to address those objections by modifying the original proposal, or turning to an alternate proposal. If for some reason this does not happen, the process also empowers any member to block consensus. To do so means not just that one does not like the proposal, but that one firmly believes that it would not be good for the organization as a whole.

Tips for Being Part of a Consensus-Building Group
from http://www.markshep.com/nonviolence/Consensus.html

• Consensus does not require that everyone be in complete agreement, but only that all be willing to accept - consent to - a decision. If the group fails to accommodate your viewpoint after fair effort, ask yourself if you feel strongly enough to uphold your position. If not, it may be best to "stand aside". Refusing to do so might paralyze the group.
• Also, consensus does not give everyone an equal voice. Some people know more and care more about an issue. Naturally, their views should carry greater weight.
• Better decisions often take longer-in the short run. Try not to make it worse. Before you speak, ask yourself whether your statement is worth the group's time. (To get an idea of this, you could multiply your speaking time by the number of listeners.) If someone else has said it, you may not need to. When you speak, be brief and to the point - and say it only once.
• If time is short and the group is large, a matter may need to be turned over to a smaller group. Try to cultivate the mutual trust that allows this.
• Be aware of how often you speak. Of course, some people will at times have more to offer. Still, you may have to stop yourself from speaking too often, to avoid dominating. Or if you're shy, you may need to push yourself to speak. Consensus can fail if some group members dominate others.
• A moment of silence can work wonders in easing tensions.
• A chosen facilitator can help consensus by keeping the discussion on track, encouraging good process, and posing alternatives that may resolve differences. But a facilitator is a servant, not a director, and assumes a neutral role. If a facilitator wishes to take a stand on an issue, facilitation is handed to someone else.
• Consensus makes special demands on all. You must respect and consider each other. You must have a sense of common searching, instead of wanting to win. You must be sensitive and open to each others' ideas and feelings, and honestly try to accommodate them. Finally, you must be dedicated to uncovering and pursuing truth - even if it leads where you never expected.

Appendix A

2)    There must be a beginning, and an end. I want to know when I am complete.

3)    I want to know who to go to for help, clarification or back up

4)    I want specifics: dates, times and items needed.

5)    I want to know the costs, and if I have a choice to give money in lieu of time.

6)    I want to know if we are discussing ideas, or making a plan.

7)    I want to decide how much or how little contribution I can make.

8)    I want current information, including updates, so I know how my participation fits in with the whole project.

9)    I want feedback, to know if what I am doing is on target.

10)   I want to be thanked.