Resources

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Executive resources

Board chair's authority

A description of the board chair's authority.

Board meeting minutes

Boards and their committees are required to take minutes at all meetings.

Board meeting notice

One regular board meeting should be held monthly at the district’s administrative headquarters or at the nearest practical location, with consideration given to persons with disabilities.

Board Meeting procedures

The rules of parliamentary procedure in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised govern board meetings, except as otherwise provided by state law or board policy.

Board secretary

The board secretary provides the board with accurate records of meeting minutes, handles board correspondence, and posts all meetings.

Board training

The chair should encourage board members to attend professional development.

Can a quorum of the board compel board members to attend meetings? We have a minority of members who might not attend a meeting where they will be faced with criticism. The majority of the board wants the minority to attend.

Question from Ask Betsy

Can the chair call meetings whenever he or she wants, including executive sessions?

Question from Ask Betsy

Choosing the chair

The selection of the board chair is made no later than the next regular meeting following July 1 each year.

Communication with the board and public

The primary role of the chair, other than to run meetings, is to be the voice of the board.

Conducting board meetings

The most important role of the board chair is conducting the meeting.

Dealing with crisis

Quick tips for communicating during a crisis.

Do executive session minutes need to be reviewed, voted on and approved by the board? How should this be done?

Question from Ask Betsy

Executive sessions

The board may meet in executive session to discuss subjects allowed by statute but may not take final action, except for specific instances pertaining to student matters.

Freedom of information laws

Oregon’s Public Meetings Laws govern what materials must be made available to the public and which may be withheld.

Must executive session minutes be separate from regular session minutes, or can they be contained in the body of the regular session minutes?

Question from Ask Betsy

Our superintendent needs to update board members about staff issues that may turn into grievances. Under what statute can that executive session be held?

Question from Ask Betsy

Parliamentary procedure

Most meetings follow the rules of parliamentary procedure, which allow the board to make decisions in an orderly manner.

Renewal of contracts

Processes required by Oregon law for teacher contract renewal – you should also check your collective bargaining agreement and board policies for additional requirements.

Sample Oath of Office

New board members must take an oath of office before assuming the duties of office.

School board elections

Information on how school board elections and filing as a candidate.

Should the board secretary be present at ALL meetings; special and executive?

Question from Ask Betsy

Special board meetings

Special meetings may be convened by the chair, upon request of three board members, or by common consent of all or a majority of the board members.

Superintendent and board chair dialogue

Keeping the lines of communication open between the board chair and the superintendent benefits the entire board and school district.

Superintendent evaluation workbook

A high quality superintendent evaluation process helps develop good board/superintendent relationships, provides clarity of roles, creates common understanding of the leadership being provided and provides a mechanism for public accountability.

The board chair and first amendment

When the board chair speaks to an issue, the public and the media assume that the chair’s statement is the opinion of the entire board of education.

The board meeting agenda

The agenda, prepared by the board chair and the superintendent, is the most important document at any board meeting.

Time/stress management

Serving on a board of education is a volunteer effort that requires many hours of diligent work.

Voting requirements

A majority of the members of the board (a quorum) must be present to legally conduct business.

What does a school board do?

An overview of a school board's responsibilities.

When you're in charge as the board chair...

As a new board chair, you suddenly find that you are making decisions, and that 'basic rule' is less defined.