BOARD of EDUCATION of HOWARD COUNTY Handbook

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HOWARD COUNTY Handbook Adopted – November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 – PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS 6 A. Mission Statement of the Howard County Public School System 6 B. Mission Statement of the Board of Education of Howard County 6 C. Belief Statements and Board of Education Priorities 6 D. Background on the Board of Education 7 E. Authorization 8 F. Commission of Eligibility 8 G. Oath of Office 9 H. National School Board Association (NSBA) - Code of Ethics for School Board Members 10 I. Ethics 11 Chapter 2 - GOVERNANCE 11 A. Authority and Responsibilities of the Board of Education 11 B. Board Committees 11 C. Individual Board Member Authority 12 D. Student Member Election Process 13 E. Norms for the Howard County Board of Education 13 F. The Key Work of School Boards 14 G. Duties of the Board 14 Chapter 3 – BOARD MEMBERSHIP 16 A. Board Member Qualifications 16 B. Student Member 17 C. New Board Member Transition Arrangements 17 Adopted - November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 - 2 - D. Rules for Board Novices 18 E. Ten Tips for New Board Members 18 F. Removal of Board Member 20 G. Unexpired Term Provisions 20 Chapter 4 – RESPONSIBILITIES 21 A. Howard County Board Member Expectations 21 B. Annual Audit 22 C. Annual Scope of Work 22 D. Negotiations 23 E. Personnel Appointment Procedures 24 F. Policy Development and Adoption 24 G. Preparation for Board Meetings 25 H. Board Email Communications 25 I. Superintendent of Schools – Appointment 26 J. Superintendent of Schools – Responsibilities and Duties 26 K. Superintendent of Schools – Evaluation Timeline and Process 27 Chapter 5 – ORGANIZATION 29 A. Board Organizational Meeting 29 B. Conduct of Elections by Superintendent 29 C. Officers and Duties 30 D. Howard County Board Chairman and Vice Chairman Expectations 30 E. Rules of Order and Voting 32 F. Meetings 33 Adopted - November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 - 3 - Chapter 6 – OPERATING PROCEDURES/PROTOCOLS 36 A. Agenda-Setting and Board Materials 36 B. Appeals to the Board of Education 37 C. Approval Process – Capital Budget 37 D. Approval Process – Operating Budget 38 E. Correspondence Procedures 38 F. Record of Board Meetings 40 G. Requests for Information from Staff by Individual Board Members 41 Chapter 7 – Past Practices 42 A. Board Leadership Development 42 B. Commencements 42 C. Recognition of Service 43 D. Use of Email 43 E. Visiting Schools 44 Chapter 8 – ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY 45 A. Cluster Schools 45 B. Meetings with Various Organizations 45 C. Opportunities for Citizen Participation 46 D. Public Hearings 46 E. Public Participation in Board Meetings 47 F. Quarterly Meetings with the County Council 48 G. County Council Information Requests and Responses by School System Staff 48 H. Representation in Organizations/Community Groups 49 Adopted - November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 - 4 - Chapter 9 – RESOURCES FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION 50 A. Board Advisory Committees 50 B. Board of Education Committee Protocols 50 • Audit Committee 50 • Legislative Committee 52 • Policy Committee 53 C. Board of Education Memberships 54 D. Board Member Compensation and Expense Standards 55 E. Board Office Staff 55 F. Legal Advice and Representation 56 G. Ethics Regulations, Ethics Panel, and Policy 2070 Ethics 56 H. The Board Handbook 57 Appendix A: Annotated Code of Maryland & COMAR Sections Relating to Education 58 Appendix B: Parliamentary Motions Guide 69 Appendix C: Phrases for the Presiding Officer 71 Appendix D: HCPSS Acronyms 72 Appendix E: Archive 81 Adopted - November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 - 5 - Chapter 1 – PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS The Board of Education of Howard County is the elected body responsible to the community for the education of their children and for the oversight and effectiveness of the school system. The Board adopts the vision, mission and goals for the school system and, in support of the mission and goals; the Board formulates and adopts educational policies that support the personal, academic, and social development of students. (Policy 2000 School Board Governance, I. Policy Statement) A. Vision and Mission Statement of the Howard County Public School System Vision: Every student is inspired to learn and empowered to excel. Mission: We cultivate a vibrant learning community that prepares students to thrive in a dynamic world. B. Mission Statement of the Board of Education of Howard County The mission of the Howard County Board of Education is to provide leadership for excellence in teaching and learning by fostering a climate for deliberative change through policy and community engagement. (Policy 2000 School Board Governance) C. Mission and Beliefs The Board of Education has control over educational matters that affect the county and that promote the interests of schools under its jurisdiction. The Board of Education adopts a strategic plan, called the Bridge to Excellence (BTE), to guide the school system in developing, implementing, and improving educational programs for its students. During the adoption process for the last strategic plan, the Board endorsed a Mission, a Vision of a dynamic learning community, and nine Belief Statements upon which the HCPSS educational goals and school improvement plans should be formulated. The Belief Statements were originally approved by the Board in January 1995 and are listed in Policy 2000 School Board Governance. The work of the Board of Education is based upon the following common beliefs: • Every child can learn. • Each child is unique and has special abilities and interests that must be recognized and developed. • The education of all children is the shared responsibility of the home, school, and community. • Academics are a primary focus of education. • Teachers have a responsibility to engage every student in learning. • Students have a responsibility for their own learning and for their personal conduct. Adopted - November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 - 6 - • Parents have a responsibility for setting values and expectations that support the learning process. • Lifelong learning is essential for productive and responsible participation in a diverse and changing world. • Teachers have the right to teach and students have the right to learn in a safe and nurturing environment. With the advice of the Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education establishes priorities together with specific objectives for the attainment of these priorities. Following the establishment of priorities, the Superintendent of Schools and Board members recommend agenda items for Board meetings based on these priorities. D. Background on the Board of Education Public education provides the foundation for American democracy. Those who sought, and fought for, freedom recognized the importance of an educated citizenry. From Thomas Jefferson on, Americans have written that an educated populace is in the best interest of the republic. The Federal Constitution is silent on the responsibility to provide for public education, but Article VIII, Section 1 of the Maryland State Constitution gives explicit direction: “The General Assembly, at its First Session after the adoption of this Constitution, shall by law establish throughout the State a thorough and efficient System of Free Public Schools; and shall provide by taxation, or otherwise, for their maintenance.” Across the nation, a tradition of local governance by citizen boards of education has existed since the creation of the first public school. Howard County was parceled out of Anne Arundel County in 1838 and was named for John Eager Howard, an officer in the Revolutionary War and a governor of Maryland. The fourth-grade students of West Friendship Elementary School shared the following in The Past Times of West Friendship and the 3rd District, (1983; supplemented 1995): “Around the time of the Revolutionary War the children were educated by having a private teacher at home or going to a private school. The first time people had to pay taxes for Anne Arundel County schools (before Howard County was made from half of Anne Arundel County) was 1816 and poor people went to schools. The whole state system was first set up in 1825. Commissioners split counties into school districts. A district clerk, a collector and three trustees were appointed by the people who had to pay the taxes. All the people decided how much to pay for school taxes. At first in 1847 it cost $195 for each school and in 1857 the cost was $305. By 1863 the cost was $445. The schools were numbered from 1 to 22.” Adopted - November 20, 2014 Amended – February 26, 2015 - 7 - Records indicate that 24 primary schools existed by August 1, 1865, when the three- member Board of School Commissioners of Howard County was officially organized. Formal minutes of Board meetings dating from1865 to the present are in the archives of the Howard County Public School System. The Governor appointed Board members until 1974, when the five-member Board of Education became a body elected by the public. In 2010, the Howard County Public School System comprises nearly 50,000 students who attend 40 elementary, 19 middle, 12 high schools, 2 special schools, and an Applications and Research Laboratory. This section provides the legal and philosophical foundations for how and why we govern as a Board of Education. With these ethical foundations and strong mission and belief statements, we are able to communicate to the public our intent to focus on and fulfill our pledge of providing an equitable and excellent education for all students. Our individual commitment as Board members is also reflected in our adherence to the National School Board Association (NSBA) Code of Ethics. E. Authorization The Board of Education of Howard County, Maryland is organized as prescribed by the Annotated Code of Maryland, Education, and Title 3. Establishment of County Boards of Education, Subtitle 7. Howard County, §3-701 through §3-704. F. Commission of Eligibility A commission, signed by the Governor of Maryland and stamped with the seal of Maryland is prepared for each Board member at the beginning of the term of office.

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