Effective meetings School Councils

1. Effective meetingsSchool Councils

2. Planning for effective meetings • Planning • What do you want from the meeting? • What do you need to achieve? • Notifying people • Who is invited? • Set a date and time • Preparation • Make an agenda • Decide what needs to be decided, what needs to be discussed, what needs to be advised • Allow time for each agenda item

3. Effective meetings (continued) • Meeting processes • Controlling the meeting • Understanding roles • Keeping a record • Keeping notes from the meeting • What to do with action items (decisions)

4. Roles • Chairperson/convenor • Prepares and runs the meeting • Ensures the meeting stays on track and on time • Secretary/recorder • Keeps notes (minutes) during the meeting and writes them up after the meeting • Meeting participants • Have a say, stay involved, listen to each other

5. Quorum • A quorum is the number of people required to be present at a meeting before a valid decision can be made • A quorum is achieved at a school council meeting if not less than one half of the members of the school council currently holding office are present and a majority of the members present are not DEECD employees • A parent member who is also a DEECD employee is counted as a DEECD representative for quorum purposes • In the event of a tied vote, the presiding member has a second or a casting vote.

6. Members’ responsibilities • Be on time or send an apology if you are unable to attend • Listen without interrupting • Listen to understand • Think before you speak • Don’t speak for the sake of it • Be fair in your criticism • Make sure you understand what’s been decided

7. More on the people side • Set and agree on the rules of how the meeting is to work • What behaviour is allowed, what is not allowed • Open or closed meeting • Be clear on roles - especially the chairperson’s role • Manage time

8. The meeting itself • Open the meeting • Welcome everyone • Ensure people have received their papers • Conduct the discussion • See next slide • Summarise the meeting • Point out main discussions and any decisions made • Close the meeting • Thank people for coming

9. Structure of a discussion • State the issue or topic of discussion • Hear the facts • Listen to people’s arguments, experiences, opinions • Reach a conclusion on what’s wanted • Make a decision • Record the decision

10. Minutes of the meeting The minutes of the meeting must record: • date, time, place of meeting, attendees and chairperson and apologies received • agenda items discussed • all decisions including the names of the movers, seconders and if decision carried or rejected • time the meeting ended • date, time and place of next meeting

11. Meeting checklist • People notified - time, date, venue • Agenda set and sent in advance • Discussion papers sent in advance with a recommendation on what is required from the meeting – e.g. • For information • For a decision- that is, a recommendation • Check any actions required following last meeting

12. For more information • http://www.education.vic.gov.au/management/governance/schoolcouncils/role.htm (What is a school council and what does it do?) • http://www.ourcommunity.com.au for Help Sheets on running a meeting