Things to Do At First SLT Meeting of the School Year

At the first School Leadership Team meeting in September, the following matters should be addressed. First, the Team should make sure it has an elected Chairperson (not the Principal or AP)and there is a 50% ratio of parents to staff. The PA President counts as a parent and the principal is included as an SLT member. Every Team member should be given a copy of the current CEP and bylaws. The responsibilities of the Team, to create the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) and align the budget with it, should be reviewed for the benefit of new members. Tentative dates for future meetings should be mapped out. There must be one meeting a month for a total of ten. Each meeting should be held after school for a duration of at least two hours. There is no way a functioning Team can complete its mission if it is meeting less than that. There should be a stipend of ten dollars an hour for members,up to a maximum of thirty hours($300). Members' hours can be accumulated for work done on SLT sub-committees. The job of the SLT in the fall and winter,is to create the 2014-2015 CEP. This requires a needs assessment of the school be conducted, goals are developed, and action plans written. Don't let the principal dominate this process by stating the Quality Review will determine the goals. The Quality Review is just one sample of school data. All Team members should be active in the process. The work of the Team must be reported to the staff and parents through the minutes taken of the SLT meetings. If the 2013-2014 CEP has not been completed, members should review it and make sure the current budget is aligned. The Team must have copies of all budget allocations and line item spending, as well as the Organization Sheet, which lists staff expenses and Other Than Personnel Spending (OTPS). Best Wishes, James Calantjis