Harriet A. Baldwin Early Learning Center Governing Board Bylaws 2006–07

Article I: Vision and Mission

Vision
   The Baldwin Early Learning Center (ELC) exhibits exemplary teaching and learning in an environment that celebrates the cultural diversity of our children through collaborative partnerships among parents, staff, community agencies, and local universities.

Mission
   As a laboratory school, Baldwin ELC will serve as a professional development site for Boston Public Schools and community early childhood centers. Our school is dedicated to the study, improvement, and dissemination of challenging and developmentally appropriate early childhood practices. Our program highlights children’s varied learning strengths and special interests through ongoing observation, assessment, and reflection in the creation of a nurturing and learning environment in accordance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Highlights
   • We accept students from ages 3 to 7 in classrooms of 16 to       20 students.
   • We enroll 195 students from a variety of cultures,       including African American, White, Asian, and Hispanic.
   • We offer a seamless instructional day from 7:30 am to       5:00 pm.
   • We integrate multilingual, special needs, and students in       different stages of development.
   • We support the development of oral language, critical       thinking, reading and writing skills, and the exploration of       mathematics, science, and social studies.
   • We promote social and emotional development.
   • We offer programs in music, creative arts, computer, and       physical education to enhance student development.
   • We celebrate children’s work through exhibitions and       portfolios.
   • We rely on teachers’ observations and assessments to guide       our instructional program.
   • We link academic content knowledge to children’s creative       and constructive play.
   • We base our instruction on the belief that children develop       differently.
   • We incorporate family, community, and cultural       knowledge into the classroom.
   • We involve staff and families through the creation of       students’ individual education plans and the review of       students’ exhibitions and portfolios.
   • We create and modify curriculum through an interactive       process between university partners, teachers, parents, and       children.
   • We promote excellence in early childhood education by       addressing the goals of the National Association for the       Education of Young Children and the Massachusetts       Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences.
   • We benefit from partnerships with Boston University,       which provides Surround Care teachers, classroom       assistants, and literacy tutors; Tufts University, which       provides student teachers; the YMCA, which provides       physical education instructors; the Community Music       School, which provides our music program; and Boston       Partners in Education, which provides literacy volunteers.

Article II: Purpose of the ELC Governing Board
   The ELC governing board is charged with carrying out the school’s vision and mission, and setting school policies as a Boston Pilot School. The Pilot School autonomies, the BPS Essentials of Whole School Improvement and the NAEYC Standards will guide the board’s work. Implementation of governing board decisions, as well as the overall management of the school, is the primary role of the principal and the ELC faculty.

Article III: Commitment of the Governing Board Members
   • Members will become familiar with the vision and mission      of the original ELC Pilot proposal and will attempt,      through deliberation and deed, to act in the best interest of      the ELC and school community.
   • Members will engage in and encourage communication      with the members of the ELC community so that decisions      reflect schoolwide agreement as much as possible.
   • Members will adhere to the rules, regulations, and policies      of the Pilot School autonomies, the ELC bylaws, NAEYC      standards and state and federal laws.
   • In the event that a member of the governing board is      absent from regularly scheduled meetings without      notification to the cochair and principal more than three      (3) times within a school year, that member will be asked      to resign.    
   • Alternates of the same racial/ethnic group shall be used to      fill vacancies created by resignation or removal of a board      member.

Article IV: ELC Governance
The ELC governing board will have eleven (11) voting members, as follows:
   • ELC principal (1). The principal will serve as cochair; the      second cochair will be elected or reelected every year by      the members of the board.
   • Four faculty representatives: 2 BTU teachers, 2 Surround      Care (BU) teachers (non-BTU). (BU teachers must be      proportionally represented on the board).
   • Four parent representatives: 2 from the K0–K1 classrooms      and 2 from the K2–grade 1 classrooms (who must be      proportionally representative of the ethnic makeup of      the school).
   • One alternate member from each of the above groups.
   • Two community representatives at a minimum, who      include our university and community partners. The      governing board will revisit the question of how many      community representatives should serve on the board, and      will make adjustments, if necessary, to the bylaws.

Article V: Election and Selection of Members
   • BTU and BU teachers in charge will be responsible for      conducting elections for the faculty representatives if      needed (i.e., when there are more staff interested than there      are seats on the board).
   • The ELC parent coordinator and Surround Care      coordinator will be responsible for conducting elections for      the parent representatives if needed (i.e., when there are      more parents interested than there are seats on the board).
   • The governing board will select and invite the community      representatives.
   • BTU, BU, and parent alternates will be identified at the      time of elections to serve in the event that any board      members are not able to complete their terms in office.
   • Alternates may attend meetings, but will not have voting      privileges.
   • Nominations for the faculty and parent representatives can      be made by self-nomination. Elections will be conducted in      September of each year.

Officers
   The officers of the Baldwin ELC shall be elected from the membership of the governing board. The officers shall be: chair, cochair, secretary, and treasurer. The duties of the officers shall be those usually performed by such officers and any special duties assigned by the board.
   • Cochair/Principal: This cochair carries the major responsibility for the Baldwin Early Learning Center. S/he works with the other cochair to provide leadership to the board as it develops broad policies, does long-range planning, and carries out the tasks necessary to achieving the purpose of the ELC. The cochairs work with the secretary of the board and the committee chairs to prepare an agenda for the regular and special meetings of the board. The chair serves as chairperson of the executive committee and is an ex officio member of all committees of the board except the nominating committee.
   • Cochair: This cochair presides at all board meetings. The cochair assumes specific major responsibilities assigned by the board. The cochair works with the principal on all the major initiatives of the Baldwin ELC. This includes policies and procedures, long-range planning, and any other tasks as necessary. The cochair is informed by the principal about confidential matters of consequence to the Baldwin ELC.
   • Secretary: In the absence of the board cochair, s/he runs the board meetings. The secretary is responsible for recording the proceedings of the meetings of the board, keeping records of attendance, issuing notices of meetings, maintaining and preparing accurate minutes, and seeing that permanent documents are in safekeeping. The minutes are the official documentation for the organization. The secretary of the board will serve as the communications liaison and shall ensure the distribution of the board minutes to all staff, parents, and community members.
   • Treasurer: The treasurer is responsible for seeing that the funds received and expended are handled in accordance with good business practices and within the policies authorized by the board. The treasurer will work with the Baldwin’s bookkeeper and the principal to produce a quarterly report of the Baldwin’s budget and will keep an accurate record of these reports.

Terms of Office
In the first year, beginning in June 2003, one-half of the representatives of each constituency will be elected or selected for one-year terms, and the other half will be elected or selected for two-year terms. Thereafter, all representatives will be elected or selected for two-year terms. This process will ensure staggered terms of membership. Members may serve for no more than two terms.

Committees of the Baldwin ELC Board
Executive Committee: This committee shall consist of the officers of the board, who are the cochair, the principal, the board secretary, and the treasurer. The executive committee shall have power to act between meetings of the board, to make recommendations to the board, and to carry out special responsibilities assigned by the board, such as the evaluation of the principal. It will meet in cases where strict confidentiality is required and will not be open to the public. Any interim action must be reported to the board at the next meeting. The cochair (principal) chairs this committee unless there is a conflict of interest, in which case the other cochair will lead the meeting. The executive committee will serve as the nominating committee as needed.

Curriculum Committee: This committee shall have as priorities the following Essentials of Whole School Improvement, as well as the Standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): relationships, curriculum, teaching and student work and data, professional development, and leadership and management. This committee shall present to the board suggested goals. It may create subcommittees as needed, but the committee as a whole must develop skill in setting overall priorities in the above areas.

Operations Committee: This committee shall have as priorities the following Essentials of Whole School Improvement, as well as the Standards of the NAEYC: resources, health, teacher qualifications, families and communities, and physical environment, and shall discuss issues regarding resources. These issues will include building and grounds, finances, public relations, and fundraising. This committee shall present to the board suggested goals. It may create subcommittees as needed, but the committee as a whole must develop skill in setting overall priorities in the above areas.

Finance Committee: The principal, the bookkeeper and the board treasurer will meet quarterly to review and approve the annual budget.

Article VI: Guidelines for Meetings

Quorum
   Six members (or 50 percent plus one) will constitute a quorum if any decisions need to be made by the governing board. This is provided that at least half of the faculty representatives and parent representatives are present.

Meetings
   Monthly governing board meetings will be scheduled and held each school year. All governing board meetings are open to the public except when in executive session.

Notice of Meetings
   Board meetings are subject to the state open-meeting law, which requires posting of each meeting notice at a public location at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. In addition, the ELC will provide faculty and parents with the list of all the meetings for the year, and the school community shall be informed of ELC board decisions.

Decision Making
   Whenever possible, decisions of the governing board will be made by consensus, or by a significant majority of those present who can live with the decision. In the event that, after a prolonged discussion of an issue, consensus cannot be reached, decisions will be made by majority vote. An approval vote of 75 percent will be required for decisions that may change the vision of the school.

Communication
   The minutes of every governing board meeting will be printed for all parents, faculty, and students in the parent bulletin.

Governing Board Meeting Agendas
   The cochairs and the board secretary will be responsible for preparing the meeting agendas and announcing the meeting date, location, and agenda in advance of each meeting. Any member of the ELC community may bring an issue to the governing board cochairs with a request that it be placed on the agenda of an upcoming meeting. The cochairs are responsible for determining whether the agenda item is appropriate for governing board discussion.

Article VII: Shared Leadership
   The Harriet Baldwin Early Learning Center is committed to the participatory and collaborative decision making that is an essential element of a democratic community. The following bodies will have a role in decision making at ELC: the ELC governing board, the instructional leadership team, the operational leadership team, the full faculty, and the parent council.

The Baldwin ELC Governing Board
   Membership: Cochair and principal (second cochair), treasurer, secretary, four staff, two community members, and a university partner.
   • Meets monthly to outline the future planning for the      school.
   • Approves all major student policies such as attendance,      promotion, discipline, and graduation requirements.
   • Upholds or modifies school mission and vision.
   • Conducts the principal evaluation based on feedback      provided by parents and staff on a biannual basis. It      recommends his/her continued employment or dismissal      (the superintendent of schools has final authority over the      hiring and firing of the principal).
   • Approves the annual school budget.
   • Reviews and approves the Baldwin work agreement and      bylaws.
   • Takes an active role in fundraising and development.
   • Obtains input from the instructional leadership team (ILT)      and operational leadership team (OLT) about decisions on      curriculum, professional development, calendar, schedules,      student assessment, and parent and community      involvement.

The Principal
   • Makes decisions about the day-to-day operations, schedules      of the school, and management and development of the      budget.
   • Makes decisions about the implementation of school      policies such as discipline, attendance, promotion,      graduation, student enrollment and facilities      management, and parent and community involvement.
   • Makes decisions about staffing patterns and staff      evaluation, and hiring and firing of staff (in accordance      with the Baldwin’s work agreement and the BTU contract).
   • Obtains input from the ILT and OLT about decisions on      curriculum, student policies, student assessment,      professional development, and future planning of the      school.

The Instructional Leadership Team
   Membership: Representatives from the math leadership team, the grade level teams; the Surround Care teachers and the principal.
   • Meets monthly to address issues related to curriculum      development, effective instruction, the Whole School      Improvement plan, assessment practices and data analysis,      peer visitation, and staff support.
   • Obtains input from staff and advises principal on the above      areas.

The Operational Leadership Team
   Membership: The Surround Care coordinator, the nurse, the social worker, a parent coordinator, a BTU teacher, a Surround Care teacher, and the principal.
   • Meets monthly to address issues related to resources,      building and grounds, scheduling, calendar, professional      development, public relations, communications,      fundraising, school community, parent involvement, and      board nominations.
   • Ensures that all staff and volunteers have the necessary      professional qualifications and training.
   • Obtains input from staff and advises principal on the above      areas.

The ELC Parent Council
   Membership: The parent coordinator, the social worker, the room parents, and the principal shall meet nine times per school year.
   • Meets monthly to increase communication with parents.
   • Provides early childhood instruction for parents.
   • Involves parents in the educational program of the school.
   • Provides input to the principal about the educational needs      of students, and parents and school activities, as well as the      values and priorities for the school.

The ELC Faculty
   Membership: All Baldwin ELC staff: Provide input to the ILT, OLT, and principal on school activities, schoolwide concerns, student policies, professional development, parent and community involvement, areas of improvement for the school, and future planning.

Article VIII: Effective Date and Amendment of Bylaws

   The proposed bylaws herein and any subsequent amendments to these bylaws will be posted for a period of two weeks for public input. After two weeks the bylaws will become effective upon ratification by consensus of the ELC governing board.

Who Speaks for the Governing Board
   It is the policy of the Baldwin ELC board that the cochairs may speak for the board or delegate the authority to a member of the executive committee as appropriate. When committees are involved in community programs, the committee chair may speak for the board if authorized to do so. No one has the authority to speak for the board unless authorized by the board cochairs.

Dissemination of Information
   Board Members are asked not to share governing board materials (meeting minutes, board mailing lists, confidential board discussions, etc.) with anyone other than a board member unless otherwise decided by the board. The Baldwin ELC governing board business belongs to the governing board members.