School Board Role

How to become a School Board Member

WE Direct

The School Board is the policy-making body of our District. It is responsible for providing an education program for students living within the District boundaries. To accomplish its role, the Board:

Employs and evaluates the Superintendent
Determines the long range direction and vision of the District as detailed in the Strategic Plan
Establishes policies that direct instructional and support programs
Approves the Annual Budget
Call elections on bond and other funding proposals
Ensures that Board policies and priorities are implemented
Communicates and engages with the community
Advocates for education with local and state leaders
Recognizes staff and community contributions
Approves large contracts and agreements including those with employee groups

Goals

Committee of the Whole:

1. Conduct a search and hire a new superintendent.

2. Support academic achievement and well-rounded education including efforts to increase academic achievement, implement the Common Middle School Experience, and increase early childhood education opportunities.

3. Evaluate the Student Resource Officer (SRO) program and provide the Beaverton City Council with a recommendation for future programming.

Subcommittees and Committee of the Whole:

1. Provide input and support for district return to school efforts.

-Ensure student and staff safety
-Address student and staff mental and emotional health

Committee: Return to School Task Force

2. Key equity efforts: review district policies to identify and address disproportionate outcomes and institutional racism; support recruitment and retention of staff of color; support dual language programming.

-Review student handbook
-Review dual language programming
-Review and develop key action steps for the recruitment and retention of BIPOC staff

Committees: Equitable Policies Task Force, Multilingual & Equity Committee, World Language Adoption

3. Support bond planning and potential bond campaign

-Make bond referral decision
-If bond is referred, support a successful bond campaign

Committee: Bond and Planning Committee

4. Negotiate labor agreements for certified and classified staff and substitute educators.

-Successfully negotiate CBAs that meet labor partner and district needs

Committees: BEA Bargaining Team, OSEA Bargaining Team, Licensed Substitute Contract Bargaining Team

5. Support strategic budgeting, including long-term planning for potential revenue shortfall in future years

-Create a multi-year plan that provides strategic resources to mitigate future downturns and provide consistent staffing level

Approved August 30, 2021

Operating Agreements

Beaverton School Board and Superintendent Operating Agreements

The Board is the educational planning and policy-making body for the District. The Superintendent is responsible for the operational execution of the District's goals and plans. To meet the District's challenges effectively, the Board and Superintendent must work together as a high-functioning leadership team. Toward that end, these operating agreements serve to clarify the complementary roles and responsibilities of the Board and Superintendent.

This document will be reviewed and adopted annually to reflect current philosophy and procedures.

The Board and the Superintendent shall:

• Dedicate their efforts toward the success of the students and staff of the District.

• Operate in a positive, honest, and transparent manner.

• Treat each other with dignity and respect.

• Represent the District throughout the community.

Board Responsibilities

Governance

The Board shall:

• Lead through strategic-planning, policymaking, resource allocation, and community outreach.

• Recognize and support the Superintendent's authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the District.

• Monitor the District's progress and implementation of strategic goals.

• Support Board decisions after honoring the right of individual members to express their viewpoints and vote accordingly.

Communication

Board members shall:

• Commit to District communication that promotes openness, understanding and inclusion of the diverse perspectives of the community.

• Effectively and tactfully use a variety of communication tools (i.e., public appearances, email, telephone).

• Clearly indicate that he/she is voicing his or her individual opinion, and not speaking on behalf of the Board, if discussing areas for which there is no existing Board policy.

• Advocate for the district locally as well as the state level.

• Recognize and support the Chair's role in responding to media requests and speaking on behalf of the Board.

• Refer questions, requests for action, or complaints to the Superintendent and Board Chair.

Meetings and Decisions

The Board shall:

• Govern as a legal entity and make decisions only as a whole Board at properly noticed meetings. Board members recognize that individual members have no authority to take individual action.

• Follow a two-phase approach to decision-making on major issues. The first phase includes discussion, dialogue, and study. The second phase involves Board decision.

• Communicate in a polite and respectful manner even though disagreements may occur. Discussions between Board members will serve as a model for positive and constructive public dialogue.

• Attempt to provide questions and communicate with the Superintendent, Board Chair, and Cabinet members in a timely manner regarding agenda items prior to actual meetings.

• Actively participate in Board meetings with a focus on key policy issues and problem solving. Come to meetings with an open mind and seek to clarify issues by soliciting each other's points of view.

• Focus on problem solving and move as a group toward consensus building/decision-making.

• Respect the confidentiality requirement of Board Meeting Executive Sessions.

Board Chair Responsibilities

The Board Chair shall:

• Speak on behalf of the Board to the media with regard to Board policy and decisions and inform the Superintendent.

• Respond to community requests or questions if directed to multiple Board members and/or the zone or school district are unknown or not specified. The Board Chair will be clear they are responding on behalf of the entire board.

• Ensure that new Board members are oriented to Board processes and District activities.

• Ensure the Board follows its own operating agreements and provide training as needed to address issues of non-compliance.

• Work together with the Superintendent to develop efficient agendas with input from other Board members and staff, and encourage knowledgeable participation, thoughtful discussion, and effective decision-making.

• When possible, ensure that community members who testify at Board meetings are appropriately thanked and provided information.

• Facilitate the meeting in a collaborative, focused and timely manner.

Superintendent Responsibilities

The Superintendent shall:

• Acknowledge the Board's role in planning, policy-making, evaluation and overseeing the performance of the Superintendent.

• Each year, prepare preliminary Superintendent goals and a self-evaluation based upon those goals for the Board's consideration.

• Ensure that staff reports to the Board are succinct and avoid restatement of written information.

• Provide information to the Board to support data-driven decision-making.

• Inform the Board of notable information including anticipated media coverage, changes to District processes, and significant developments related to Board policy.

• Work together with the Chair to develop efficient agendas with input from other Board members and staff, and encourage knowledgeable participation, thoughtful discussion, and effective decision-making.

• Provide follow-up information to Board members on concerns and issues they have referred to the Superintendent.

Revised: August 30, 2021

Assignments

Subcommittees and Board Assignments

Audit Committee: Eric Simpson, Sunita Garg

Beaverton Education Association (BEA) Bargaining Team: Becky Tymchuk, Tom Colett

Licensed Substitute Bargaining Team: TBD

Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) Bargaining Team: TBD

Beaverton Education Foundation Liaison: Eric Simpson

Bond Accountability Committee: Eric Simpson, Sunita Garg

Budget Committee: All Board Members

Oregon School Board Association Board of Directors: Susan Greenberg

Oregon School Board Association Legislative Committee: Becky Tymchuk

Return to School Task Force: Becky Tymchuk, Tom Colett

Student Advisory Committee: Susan Greenberg, Karen Pérez

Equitable Policies Task Force: Susan Greenberg, Sunita Garg, Ugonna Enyinnaya

Multilingual & Equity Committee: Karen Pérez*, Becky Tymchuk, Ugonna Enyinnaya

Bond and Planning Committee: Becky Tymchuk*, Eric Simpson, Ugonna Enyinnaya/Sunita Garg

Ad Hoc Policy Committee**: Tom Colett*, Becky Tymchuk, Karen Pérez

World Language Adoption: Karen Pérez

*Committee Chair

**Meets on an as-needed basis.

Approved August 30, 2021

WE Listen

The School Board hears public comments in the following ways:

School Board Business Meetings occur monthly and include time for public comment. Those planning to speak at a business meeting have two minutes to address the Board. A Board Member or District representative will try to follow up after the meeting.
District Listening Sessions are typically more information question and answer sessions. Board Members regularly attend these meetings.
Budget Listening Sessions are typically open forums where people can learn about the District's budget.
Board Members are available by phone or email if a community member needs to communicate outside of a public meeting.

If you have a District-wide concern, please email the Board at: School_Board@beaverton.k12.or.us

WE Can Help

As a Board of elected volunteers, we are committed to providing Beaverton students with a world-class education.

We understand that you may have questions about our public school system. We encourage you to look for clarification as close to the source as possible.

Board Members can also assist you:

We will help you connect with District personnel to find answers to questions about District practices.
We listen to concerns about District policies and budgets.
We assist in advocating for change at the local and state level

We encourage you to bring your questions to the Board Member who lives near your school. Although we are volunteers, we will respond in a timely manner.