Department of Education 2011 Campus Policy Memo Dr. MAK Mitchell

1. Department of Education • 2011 Campus Policy Memo • Dr. MAK Mitchell • Executive Director of School Governance • DAPS

2. What’s NEW since the 2007 Campus Memo? • A required Building Council audit system is combined with a dispute resolution process to track each campus’ status and resolve disputes. • School leaders on campuses who fail to implement these policies risk collective disciplinary action, including the potential for adverse ratings impacting their PPR score.

3. Our Campus Theory of Action • Well executed campus management creates the necessary conditions for increased student achievement, as well as principal, staff and community satisfaction. • Note: Network Leaders are the trainers and facilitators for their campus principals.

4. Key Definitions A Building Council is a structure for administrative decision-making regarding issues impacting all schools in the building. Council principals are equal partners in shaping the educational environment: administration, communication, culture. There are no “host” schools and all schools have equal rights and responsibilities in campus decisions.

5. Who sits on a Building Council? • All Campus School Leaders: • Principals • Charter leaders • D 75 principals or designated AP’s • Note: Relevant others (AP’s, safety team, custodian, unions) can be invited for specific agenda items but should not have a standing seat on the council

6. Campus Collaboration Benefits All • “All of us together are stronger than any one of us; we create something together that was not possible alone” • Daily advantage from colleague support • Shared expertise and resources • Team wisdom through collective experience • Professional learning community • The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

7. Council Audit Assumptions • “Campus liaison” is a principal or designee appointed • by the council: • Maintains a file of required BC docs • Verifies docs through annual survey • Posts docs on-line for limited access • “Campus community” access: • Campus principals • Network leaders • Superintendents • SSS Team

8. Distribution of Campus Assignments &Shared Campus Personnel • All school leaders on a campus should accept their share of campus-wide “lead” assignments such as safety, athletics, building use permits, campus liaison • Provisions should be made for all principals to contribute to and sign off on ratings of shared or split-funded personnel, such as the custodian or lead safety officer

9. Council Audit Procedures • Annual Calendar: Established building council meetings for the school year, minimally monthly with filed with meeting agendas and subsequent meeting minutes. • School Space Allocation: Includes space footprint, with designated room allocations by school, including the documentation of any room swaps. • Shared Space Schedules: Includes daily scheduling of shared spaces (library, cafeteria, auditorium, gym, etc.) access and use of the building after hours, on weekends, and in the summer. • Shared Staffing/Funding: Includes any shared staff and their shared funding and supervisory agreements, i.e., campus plan for deployment of safety/security staff as well as documentation of any other initiatives that are split-funded.

10. Council Dispute Resolution Assumptions • The best decisions are made closest to those implementing those decisions. • When campus principals hold the locus of control equitably, they are more motivated to reach consensus locally. • Failure to resolve conflicts or implement the provisions of the memo can result in adverse PPR ratings for principals individually or collectively.

11. Dispute Resolution Process • Building Council: Principals attempt to reach consensus in BC meeting; request network support individually or collectively. • Network Involvement: Network Leader facilitates 1-2 meetings; SSS Director may coach. If conflicts are not resolved, calls SSS Office for arbitration. • DSS Dispute Resolution: will occur thru the SSS with the assistance of relevant DOE managers. Superintendents will write letter to file to support the adverse PPR rating. • Note: Whenever a building council is stuck and decision-making is impaired, any member of the campus community can request next step of this process.

12. Interactive Do’s and Don’ts • Don’t • Agree if you will not implement authentically • Judge or assume • Implement without consensus • Bully or pressure • Have hallway/e-mail conversations • Communicate outcomes solo • Do • Brainstorm until an agreement can be reached, use BATNA • Ask questions and clarify • Balance advocacy with inquiry • Respect each other • Memorialize agreements to build trust • Communicate jointly

13. Best Council Players • Trust each other • Engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas • Commit to decisions and plans of actions • Hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans • Focus on the achievement of collective results

14. Principal Resources • DOE Principals contact your Network Leader for support. • Charter Leaders contact your Charter operations liaison. • D75 site administrators, contact your Supervising Principal. • For policy questions, dispute resolution or training requests contact: • Dr. MAK Mitchell • Executive Director of School Governance • mmitchell2@schools.nyc.gov • 212.374.4142.