tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19165150510102510482024-02-08T14:24:12.648-05:00School Leadership Team Support CenterWelcome.
The purpose of this site is to provide information and resources to help empower and strengthen the role of School Leadership Teams in NYC Public Schools.
We welcome your comments on this blog concerning NYC School Leadership Teams.Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-69652602551989837142021-08-12T12:39:00.000-04:002021-08-12T12:39:06.607-04:00From James Calantjis Concerning This BlogI am retired from the NYCDOE and will try to keep this blog updated.
Sadly,SLTs are still neglected by the NYCDOE and undermined by school Principals.
I am available to give advice to any who are struggling to get their SLT operating according to law and Chancellor Regulations.
My e-mail address is calantjis@aol.com
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-530591138787836182019-03-07T20:40:00.003-05:002019-03-07T20:40:52.982-05:00Vote for Solidarity Caucus in 2019 UFT Election
If you are a UFT member and you want change in your Union Leadership, vote for the Solidarity Caucus in this year's election.
After March 20th, you will receive a ballot in the mail to fill in. Just check the Solidarity Slate on the first page and return the ballot in the enclosed envelope by mail.
The current leadership of the UFT is made up of the Unity Caucus and Mr. Mulgrew. They have failed to support School Leadership Teams and allow Principals to undermine the
authority of Teams to create the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) and align it with the school budget through shared decision making. It is more egregious because Chapter
Leaders are Core Members of Teams.
Please visit www.uftsolidarity.org for information on our platform for change.
James Calantjis Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-17342582356305429282018-05-06T10:22:00.001-04:002018-05-06T10:22:06.025-04:00SLT RemunerationAs an SLT member, you are entitled to a remuneration of up to $300 for 30 hours of service. See link on sidebar for information.Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-79982383807331002532018-05-06T09:12:00.000-04:002018-05-06T10:09:22.888-04:00See DOE's SLT Tool Kit for useful information. click the link on sidebar.
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F56707DB-7094-4424-8FFC-7AB103C4ABD9/0/CoverandContent.pdf
Also, click sidebar for SLT Bylaws Template and information.
James CalantjisJim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-87168311290918743452017-12-06T16:57:00.002-05:002017-12-06T16:57:34.392-05:00SLT Biennial Review Survey
This is an opportunity to rate the effectiveness of your School Leadership Team as a member. Please be truthful as most SLTs are not functioning, usurping the lawful responsibilities of parents and teachers to collaboratively create the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) and align the school budget. This information is compiled for the State.
James Calantjis
Biennial Review Survey: School Leadership Team Members to Provide Feedback
School Type: Elementary, middle, and high schools
Deadline: December 22
Workflow Subcategory: Family/Community Engagement
In accordance with the New York State Education Commissioner’s Regulation 100.11 (CR-100.11), the Biennial Review is a required evaluation of the district-level plan for participation of parents, teachers, and administrators in school-based planning and shared decision-making. The Biennial Review Survey assesses the overall effectiveness of each district’s plan to engage constituents as per the required components of CR-100.11, and addresses potential successes and obstacles in the school and district’s use of the plan. The results of the review are used by the District Leadership Team (DLT) to help determine the effectiveness of each district’s plan for shared decision-making at the school level.
On November 27, each member of your School Leadership Team (SLT) should have received an email from biennialreview@schools.nyc.gov with an invitation to provide feedback on the Biennial Review Survey (available in all ten DOE languages). SLT members should complete the survey by December 22. Survey participants will be asked to evaluate their experience on the SLT across six required components. In the event that an SLT member does not have access to the online survey, SLT chairpersons and or principals should provide access to a computer to ensure that all members can complete the survey.
Biennial Review Survey: School Leadership Team Members to Provide Feedback
School Type: Elementary, middle, and high schools
Deadline: December 22
Workflow Subcategory: Family/Community Engagement
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-15725443215322166272017-09-20T17:38:00.002-04:002017-09-20T17:38:40.407-04:00Finalizing the 2017-2018 CEP
Revise and Finalize your S/CEP: You should complete your revisions and finalize your S/CEP in accordance with the key dates in this revised Guide for Developing Your School/Comprehensive Educational Plan Using iPlan (slide 3). You should use the online document editor in the iPlan Portal to revise your S/CEP and other planning documents based on your school’s current data and feedback by October 20 (extended from September 22).
If your school is in receivership you should update your plan to include Community Engagement Team recommendations and feedback from the public hearing for Struggling and Persistently Struggling schools after your school’s public hearing (scheduled for late September and the first week of October).
Once you have updated your plan, see here (slide 17) for additional guidance and follow these steps:
Click “save” so that members of your school community, who you have provisioned as designees, can view updates;
Click “create new version” to back up the plan in the iPlan Portal; and
Click “share for review” so that your updated plan can be viewed by your superintendent.
Automatic Selection of “Share for Review” in iPlan: On October 21, iPlan will automatically select citywide “Share for Review,” to ensure that your superintendent can access the latest version of your school’s plan. Once the superintendent approves your plan by November 3 (extended from September 29), you will receive an automatic notification from iPlan indicating that your S/CEP has been approved.
2017–18 SLT Signature Page: After receiving approval notification, upload a scanned copy of your original signed 2017–18 SLT Signature Page using the link located on your school’s home page in the iPlan Portal by November 3 (extended from October 15). See here (slides 22–29) for guidance on attesting and uploading your SLT Signature Documents.
Posting to Your School Website and the Public-Facing Page: Your approved 2017–18 S/CEPs will be combined with your school’s approved Title III applications (if applicable), Language Allocation Policy (LAP), and Language Translation and Interpretation Form (LTI), and posted to your school website and the public-facing page on the iPlan Portal beginning November 6 (extended from October 1).
For questions regarding S/CEP development, contact the School/District Improvement Liaison (SDIL) associated with your superintendent. For technical assistance with iPlan, email cep-iplansupport@avanade.com.Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-4590356123504607922017-06-01T10:29:00.001-04:002017-06-01T10:29:39.332-04:00Finalizing the 2017-2018 CEP
Prepare Your Preliminary School/Comprehensive Educational Plans And Online Attestations In iPlan
School Type: All schools
Action required by: June 30; July 31
Workflow Subcategory: School Improvement
As noted in the April 25 edition of Principals’ Weekly, School Leadership Teams (SLTs) must review and update their preliminary 2017–18 School/Comprehensive Educational Plans (S/CEPs), including five goals, using the online document editor in the iPlan Portal by June 30. You and your SLT should update your S/CEP and other planning documents and must click “Share for Review.” You must also complete an online attestation stating that your preliminary 2017–18 school-based budget is aligned with your S/CEP by this same date.
New this year, iPlan will remain open throughout the summer so that superintendents can provide you with feedback, and so that you and your SLT have online access to iPlan. During this time, SLTs may continue to update educational planning documents based on feedback provided in the coordinated review period, which will take place from July 5 through August 31.
Your School/District Improvement Liaisons (SDILs) may reach out to you to provide technical assistance in plan development using the iPlan portal, and support your school in meeting key dates reflected in the S/CEP and Document Development Timeline. To access the tentative draft timeline (slide 3), and information on updating S/CEPs, including the online attestation process, see here. You may also access the enhanced Help page of the iPlan Portal for additional resources and guidance.
For questions regarding S/CEP development, contact the School/District Improvement Liaison who is associated with your superintendent; for technical assistance with iPlan, email cep-iplansupport@infusion.com.Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-83297030084302201372017-02-01T13:00:00.003-05:002017-02-01T13:00:33.425-05:00SLT Signature Page Requirementv
Upload the 2016–17 School Leadership Team Signature Pages and Attest that the Configuration Aligns with Chancellor’s Regulation
School Type: All schools
Action required by: February 28; Event: March 15
Workflow Subcategory: School Improvement
This year, a new feature in the iPlan portal enables you to upload a scanned copy of your School Leadership Team’s (SLT) signature page to a secure storage location, which is now required. This signature page will only be accessible by you, iPlan administrators, superintendents, and Family Leadership Coordinators (FLCs).
You are required to upload your SLT Signature page on the iPlan portal using the following steps by February 28:
§ Click on “Attest and Upload SLT Signature Documents” from the CEP Planning page to access the new feature;
§ Enter your electronic signature attesting that the School Leadership Team (SLT) is in alignment with Chancellor's Regulation A-655;
§ Click the “Attest Online” button to complete the attestation;
§ Open the SLT Signature Page upload window;
§ Upload a scanned copy of the SLT signature page and any other related documents for secure storage.
The original signed SLT signature page, along with any written communications pertaining to this page should also be kept on file in your office and be made available upon written request. For additional guidance on uploading the SLT signature pages, see slides here.
As noted in previous editions of Principals Weekly, you should be working with your School Leadership Teams (SLTs) to review the midpoint progress-monitoring benchmarks, and make any necessary updates to your S/CEP using the online document editor in the iPlan Portal. To make updates in the document editor, using slide 15 outlined here, you must click on the “Share for Review” button that is located in the top right corner of the webpage. Revised S/CEPs must be completed in the iPlan Portal by February 28; the DOE will then post all revised plans on schools’ public webpages by March 15.
For questions or support, contact the School/District Improvement Liaison associated with your superintendent. For technical assistance with iPlan, email cep-iplansupport@infusion.com.
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-31823902906489344912017-01-25T09:55:00.002-05:002017-01-25T09:55:24.903-05:00Assessing Meeting Annual Goals of CEPAssess Midpoint Progress Towards Meeting Your Annual Goals Reflected In Your School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP)
School Type: All schools
Deadline: February 28; Event: March 15
Workflow Subcategory: School Improvement
Between now and February 28, you should work with your School Leadership Team (SLT) to review the midpoint progress-monitoring benchmarks that are included in your approved School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEPs) and determine whether your school is on track to meet your annual S/CEP goals. If you and your SLT determine that your school has not made sufficient progress towards meeting a particular goal, you and your SLT should identify resources and strategies to support meeting that goal by the end of the school year. Once additional resources and strategies have been determined, you must make any necessary updates to your S/CEP using the online document editor in the iPlan Portal; to finalize revisions in the document editor, using slide 15 outlined here, you must click on the “Share for Review” button that is located in the top right corner of the webpage. Revised S/CEPs must be completed in the iPlan Portal by February 28; the DOE will then post all revised plans on schools’ public webpages by March 15.
For questions or support, contact the School/District Improvement Liaison associated with your superintendent. For technical assistance with iPlan, email cep-iplansupport@infusion.com.Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-12083354554768060282016-12-01T09:53:00.001-05:002016-12-01T09:53:07.457-05:00Additional Guidance for Principals Concerning New SLT Meetings PolicyAdditional Guidance For Principals Concerning New Policy for SLT Meetings
Because of a recent appellate court decision, SLT meetings must now be open to the public and subject to the Open Meetings Law. This means that SLTs must allow members of the general public and the press to attend their meetings, in addition to members of the school community, and new procedures must be implemented.
Below is a list of the new procedures and instructions on how to implement them.
1. Public Notice of Meetings: SLT meetings must be scheduled at least one week before the meeting takes place. In addition, notice of the time and place of SLT meetings must be given to the public and to the news media at least 72 hour prior to the meeting. A member of the SLT will be responsible for posting the meeting notice on the school’s website and also posting it in a conspicuous place in the school building. Family Leadership Coordinators (FLCs) and Family Support Coordinators (FSCs) will be responsible for sending notice of the SLTS meetings to the news media, which can be a local news station, such as NY1, and/or a local newspaper. The notice must state the date, time and location of the SLT meetings.
2. Minutes: SLTs must prepare minutes of topics discussed at each meeting, including any proposals made or items decided upon through consensus-based decision-making. Minutes must be made available to the public in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) within two weeks of the meeting. Minutes that are taken during “executive sessions” (see below) should include a record of any final decisions made and must be completed and made available within one week of the date of the meeting. If the SLT minutes have not been finalized or approved by the SLT by this time, the Open Meetings Law requires that the minutes be marked “Draft”, “Not Approved”, or “Not Final”, and made available in this format if requested under FOIL. For all minutes, material that is exempted from disclosure by law, such as student information/records protected under the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or information that would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy under the Public Officers Law, will be redacted by the DOE’s Office of Legal Services prior to release of the minutes in response to FOIL requests.
3. Executive Session: If discussions at the SLT meeting concern the following topics, the SLT should go into “executive session,” meaning that the SLT members should remove themselves from the public meeting to a private room (out of view and earshot of the public and the press):
Matters that could imperil the public safety (such as School Safety Plans)
Matters that disclose the identity of a law enforcement agent or informer
Information relating to current or future investigations (such as SCI, OSI, OEO or School-Based Investigations)
Discussions regarding proposed or pending litigation (including cases pending in courts or administrative agencies, such as the State Division of Human Rights)
Matters involving the preparation, grading or administration of examinations.
In order to go into executive session, someone on the SLT must make a motion to do so, by saying something like, “This is a matter that requires us to go into executive session because School Safety Plans, which involve the safety of our students and school community, will be discussed.” The SLT must then take a vote to on whether to go into executive session. If a majority agree that the SLT should do so, the SLT should leave the room and go to a private space to have a discussion about the topic. Once the discussion has been completed, the SLT should return to the regular public meeting and continue that meeting.
4. The Role of the General Public at SLT Meetings: There is no requirement that the general public be allowed to speak at SLT meetings; there is only the requirement that the public be allowed to attend and observe the meetings. The SLT may choose to allow members of the public to speak but, if it does so, it must treat everyone equally, letting anyone who wishes to speak to do so. The SLT can adopt rules to ensure fairness (e.g., allowing any member of the public to speak for a certain period of time).
5. Photographs and Recordings: The general public and the press may record the meeting (by photograph, audio, video, or digital means). The SLT may adopt rules concerning the use of recording devices so as to prevent disruption of the meeting. For example, rules may require that people who use cameras to take pictures must remain in the back of the room, and if recording equipment is used, it must be silent so as not to disrupt the meeting. If rules are created, they should be conspicuously posted during the meetings and written copies should be provided upon request to attendees. The SLT is not required to record or transmit its meetings by audio, video or webcast.
As noted in previous editions of Principals’ Weekly, the New York State Appellate Division recently issued a decision ruling that School Leadership Team (SLT) meetings must be open to the general public and comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Law. You should note the following change in procedure for giving public notice to the news media concerning the date, time, and location of SLT meetings:
Change in Procedure for Giving Public Notice of SLT Meetings: Family Leadership Coordinators and Family Support Coordinators (changed from Field Support Centers in the previous announcement) will be responsible for sending notice of SLT meetings to the news media, which can be a local news station, such as NY1, or a local newspaper. To facilitate this procedure, you or your designee must send the schedule of SLT meetings to your Family Leadership Coordinator and Family Support Coordinator, so that they can send notice of the meetings to the news media. The information that you send must include the date, time and location of the SLT meetings. The coordinators will then provide notice to the news media at least 72 hours prior to each meeting, provided the meeting has been scheduled at least a week in advance. If the SLT meeting date, time or location changes, you should notify your Family Leadership Coordinator and Family Support Coordinator as soon as possible, so that they can notify the media of the change. You or a designee must post a notice of the SLT meeting on your school’s website and also post it in a conspicuous place in the school building.
You should review additional guidance on the new policy for SLT meetings in this guidance document. For questions, contact your Senior Field Counsel.
__._,_.___
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-3311445851742542372016-11-30T09:48:00.002-05:002016-11-30T09:48:52.501-05:00Public Notice for SLT MeetingsFrom Principals Weekly. Dates of meetings must be posted on school websites.
Update to Guidance on New Policy for SLT Meetings: Change in Procedure for Giving Public Notice to the Media
School Type: All schools
Workflow Subcategory: Family/Community Engagement
As noted in previous editions of Principals’ Weekly, the New York State Appellate Division recently issued a decision ruling that School Leadership Team (SLT) meetings must be open to the general public and comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Law. You should note the following change in procedure for giving public notice to the news media concerning the date, time, and location of SLT meetings:
Change in Procedure for Giving Public Notice of SLT Meetings: Family Leadership Coordinators and Family Support Coordinators (changed from Field Support Centers in the previous announcement) will be responsible for sending notice of SLT meetings to the news media, which can be a local news station, such as NY1, or a local newspaper. To facilitate this procedure, you or your designee must send the schedule of SLT meetings to your Family Leadership Coordinator and Family Support Coordinator, so that they can send notice of the meetings to the news media. The information that you send must include the date, time and location of the SLT meetings. The coordinators will then provide notice to the news media at least 72 hours prior to each meeting, provided the meeting has been scheduled at least a week in advance. If the SLT meeting date, time or location changes, you should notify your Family Leadership Coordinator and Family Support Coordinator as soon as possible, so that they can notify the media of the change. You or a designee must post a notice of the SLT meeting on your school’s website and also post it in a conspicuous place in the school building.
You should review additional guidance on the new policy for SLT meetings in this guidance document. For questions, contact your Senior Field Counsel.
--
Francesco A. PortelosJim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-12129940548953945712016-11-15T10:32:00.006-05:002016-11-15T10:32:35.591-05:00Checking Up On Your SLTNow that the Open Meetings Law has been confirmed for School Leadership Teams, parent and school leaders should be monitoring their teams to make sure they are focused on the development of the CEP and their budget responsibilities. They should drop in on teams unannounced and observe what is happening. Chances are you will find that teams are not engaged in their duties and unaware of their responsibilities due to lack of training. When you observe, remember to pick up the agenda for the meeting. You also have a right to receive the minutes of the meeting. By these means, we can pressure principals to develop functioning SLTs according to law. However, the question is,do parents and school leaders realize the importance of functioning SLTs in school governance?
James Calantjis
sltsupport.blogspot.com
-----Original Message-----
From: 'Leonie Haimson' leoniehaimson@gmail.com [nyceducationnews] <nyceducationnews@yahoogroups.com>
To: Nyceducationnews@Yahoogroups.com <nyceducationnews@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: changethestakes-open-forum <changethestakes-open-forum@googlegroups.com>; cts-internal <cts-internal@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Nov 14, 2016 5:08 pm
Subject: [nyceducationnews] What's the story on School Leadership Teams and their meetings?
A fact sheet for parents and members of the public.
https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2016/11/whats-story-on-school-leadership-team.html
Leonie Haimson
Executive Director
Class Size Matters
1 24 Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10011
phone: 212-529-3539/917-435-9329
leonie@classsizematters.org
www.classsizematters.org
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-88632688598693152002016-11-09T16:08:00.003-05:002016-11-09T16:08:43.300-05:00New SLT Open Meetings PolicyDOE Sets New School Leadership (SLT) Policy
New Policy for SLT Meetings
All schools
Workflow Subcategory: Family/Community Engagement
Recently, the New York State Appellate Division issued a decision ruling that School Leadership Team (SLT) meetings must be open to the general public and comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Law. Effective immediately, SLTs must allow members of the general public and the press to be admitted to their meetings, in addition to members of the school community. If certain confidential topics are discussed, the SLT should go into “executive session,” meaning that the SLT should move to a private room (out of earshot of the public and the press).
During the next few weeks, principals will receive training from their Senior Field Counsel on how to comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Law. Training will include directions for complying with the following requirements:
Public Notice of Meetings: Public notice of the time and place of SLT meetings must be provided at least one week prior to the meeting. Notice must also be given to the news media and posted in one or more public locations, including on the school’s website, at least 72 hours before the meeting.
Disclosure of Minutes: The SLT should prepare minutes of topics discussed at SLT meetings, including any proposals or items decided upon through consensus. Upon request, minutes shall be made available to the public in accordance with the provisions of FOIL within two weeks from the date of the meeting. Minutes that are taken during executive sessions should include the date and consist of a record or summary of any determination or final action that is taken. Upon request, minutes from the executive session shall be made available to the public in accordance with the provisions of FOIL within one week from the date of the meeting.
§ Executive Session: SLTs should go into executive session and remove themselves from the public meeting to discuss certain confidential topics, such as School Safety Plans, preparation or administration of examinations, current or future investigations, or proposed or pending litigation.
If you have questions about this policy and these procedures, please contact your Senior Field Counsel.
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-67747569071885894392016-10-27T09:50:00.002-04:002016-10-27T09:50:30.227-04:00NY Appellate Court Affirms School Leadership Team Meetings are Open to the Public
NY Appellate Court Affirms School Leadership Team Meetings are Open to the Public
In a rebuke to the NYC Department of Education, which began closing School Leadership Team (SLT) meetings to the public in 2013, a New York appellate court has found that closing the meetings violates the state’s Open Meetings Law. In a decision released today, the New York Appellate Division, First Department found for the petitioner, Michael P. Thomas, and the intervenors, Public Advocate Letitia James and Class Size Matters, that SLT meetings must be open to the public.
Contrary to the DOE’s claims, the Court held that SLTs are governmental bodies that have decision-making authority under state law. The SLT helps formulate "school-based educational policies" and ensure that "resources are aligned to implement those policies,” wrote the Court. Thus, SLT meetings must be subject to the Open Meetings Law. The Court rejected DOE’s contention that SLTs, composed half of school staff and half parents, have only advisory powers and thus their meetings could be closed.
On March 17, 2014, retired teacher Michael P. Thomas asked the Chair of the SLT and the Principal Linda Hill of IS 49 on Staten Island to attend their meeting. The Chair invited him but later rescinded her invitation, and barred him from entering the meeting when he arrived at the school on April 1, 2014. On May 17, 2014, Mr. Thomas commenced an article 78 proceeding, and the Public Advocate and Class Size Matters subsequently intervened on behalf of parents and the public at large, represented pro bono by Advocates for Justice and New York Lawyers for Public Interest.
On April 21, 2015, Supreme Court Judge Peter Moulton ruled that "SLT meetings entail a public body performing governmental functions," and thus are "subject to the Open Meetings Law." He concluded that “the proper functioning of public schools is a public concern, not a private concern limited to the families who attend a given public school." Chancellor Carmen Farina instructed principals to ignore this decision, and filed a Notice of Appeal on May 22, 2015. The Appellate Court heard arguments from both sides on January 21, 2016.
Upon learning today that he had won the case, Michael P. Thomas said, "It was a long wait, but well worthwhile to read the court’s decision. Opening SLT meetings will allow the public to observe first-hand the effects of problems plaguing our schools, including underfunding, overcrowding, and poor budgetary priorities. The Court's affirming that SLTs are more than advisory in nature demonstrates that these bodies have real decision-making power. Unfortunately, in too many cases, principals have improperly usurped the power given to SLTs in state law. Hopefully, the Court's decision will be the first step in helping to resolve the many problems in our public schools."
“Today’s ruling is a victory for parents, students, educators and all of us who believe in transparency and accountability at the Department of Education,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “After years of having their voices drowned out in the school system, parents are being heard again. Important decisions about our schools must be made in sunlight with input from parents and teachers.”
“We are delighted that the First Department confirmed in a unanimous opinion the public’s right to attend these very important School Leadership Team meetings,” said Laura D. Barbieri, of counsel to Advocates for Justice Legal Foundation, representing the Public Advocate Letitia James, and Class Size Matters. “The Department of Education must comply with the Open Meetings Law and can no longer exclude the media or concerned citizens who have a right to know what is going on in their neighborhood public schools.”
Said Rachel Spector, Director of the Environmental Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, which represented Class Size Matters: “The court’s decision affirms that when public schools make decisions, they must be transparent: public schools cannot act in secret. We are pleased that members of the public can now attend School Leadership Team meetings without fear of being turned away at the door. This is an important step forward and serves as a reminder to the Department of Education that community participation is crucial to the success of New York City public schools."
“The law is crystal clear that School Leadership Teams are public bodies, with an important governmental role to play. Parents and the public have a crucial stake in SLT decisions, when it comes to class size, the use of technology, or any other school-based policies. Both the Supreme Court and now the Appellate Court have ruled that these meetings must be open to the community at large. Any attempt by the DOE or principals to ignore this decision, subvert it or appeal to a higher court would be unwise, would further delay the public interest and would waste precious taxpayer funds that are far better used in improving our schools,” concluded Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters.
The Appellate Court’s decision is posted here: http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2016/2016_06989.htm
Additional background on School Leadership Teams, along with a timeline and links to legal briefs and news articles, is posted here: http://www.classsizematters.org/parent-empowerment/
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-78528056349116495752016-06-29T11:22:00.000-04:002016-06-29T11:22:01.677-04:00
There is no grass root support for reforming School Leadership Teams among parents, teachers, educators, politicians, etc. This has been a missed opportunity to really involve parents and teachers in the school governance process through shared decision making. The NYCDOE has been successful in undermining the authority of Teams under the law to develop the school's CEP and to be actively involved in the school budget process.
If anyone would like to contact me, please do so at calantjis@aol.com.
James Calantjis
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-38542905840014890012015-12-17T17:40:00.002-05:002015-12-17T17:40:26.426-05:00SLT Biennial Survey for Members of SLTs - Give honest feedbackChancellor's Parent Advisory Council
Biennial SLT Survey deadline extended until next Wednesday!
The deadline for completing the Biennial SLT survey was extended until Wednesday, December 23rd. If you are a member of your School Leadership Team and didn't have a chance to complete the survey, please take a moment to fill it out -- and let other members of your team know about the extension as well!. We are also asking that all Presidents' Council presidents pass this email along to their memberships.
As a reminder, the Biennial SLT Survey takes place every other year. Responses are completely confidential. Although the survey asks for your school, this is a check to ensure you have the correct district and is not required. The final report includes only district level results and is used by your District Leadership Teams to help them understand how SLTs are functioning in your districts and to help them better target their training. So please complete the survey honestly.
If you are a member of your SLT and have not received a link -- either from FACE or from your school -- you should contact your school principal, your parent coordinator, or your district Parent Leadership Coordinator (formerly DFA). If you are a member of your high school SLT, please contact your principal, your parent coordinator, or your superintendent's Parent Leadership Coordinator.
If you have any problems completing the survey, please let FACE know!
Thanks for helping to improve our schools!
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-90416897422385600622015-11-02T11:15:00.001-05:002015-11-02T11:15:08.985-05:00DOE information regarding current Comprehensive Educational Plans (2015-2016)
Please note that SLTs should be working on creating the CEPs for the 2016-2017 school year by doing needs assessments and setting yearly goals and action plans. In the Spring, the budgets should be aligned with the CEPs.
Regards,
James Calantjis
Address Remaining Feedback and Prepare Your School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP) for Posting on Your School’s Website
All schools / Deadline: October 30; Event: November 20
As noted in the October 20 edition of Principals’ Weekly, if you have not already done so, you should review and address any remaining reviewer feedback for your School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP) by October 30 so that your superintendent can approve your final plan. For Struggling or Persistently Struggling schools that are in receivership, note that this includes Community Engagement Team recommendations and feedback from your public hearing, where applicable.
In order to address reviewer feedback, you should update your plan using the online document editor in the iPlan portal. Once you have updated your plan, you should prepare it for posting on your school’s website following these steps (click here for additional guidance):
§ Click “save” to save your plan so that members of your school community who you have provisioned as designees can view updates.
§ Click “create new version” to back up the plan in the iPlan portal.
§ Click “update for review” so that your updated plan can be viewed by your superintendent.
Please note that the original deadline for your superintendent to approve your final S/CEP has been extended to November 13 (from October 30); you will receive an email from iPlan support once your final plan has been approved. Note that your final S/CEP will be combined with your school’s Title III application (if applicable), Language Allocation Policy (LAP), and Language Translation and Interpretation Form (LTI) before it is posted on your school’s public website beginning on November 20 (extended from November 13).
For more information on provisioning designee(s) at your school via the iPlan portal, click here. For technical assistance with iPlan, email cep-iplansupport@infusion.com. For other questions, contact the School/District Improvement Liaison (SDIL) for your district.
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Ensure Teacher Leaders are Staffed in GalJim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-15756083185688481112015-06-22T12:41:00.002-04:002015-06-22T12:41:23.473-04:00SLT End of Year Principal Evaluation SLT Chancellor's Regulation A-655 mandates that SLTs complete a principal evaluation form concerning the extent of shared decision making during the school year in the creation of the CEP and alignment of the budget. I am hearing that the DOE is neglecting this requirement from SLTs. The evaluation form can also be found in the A-655 Regulation. The Superintendent is sent the evaluations when completed my members. SLTs should make sure thay print out the forms and have members honestly complete them to provide a measure of accountability concerning the functioning of their teams. Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-76338077435762504442015-04-27T16:46:00.004-04:002015-04-27T16:46:50.394-04:00SLT Law up for Renewal School Leadership Team Laws (2590-h and 2590r) are up for renewal June 30th 2015. I would bet the DOE will try to persuade the State Legislature to take away SLT decision making on the CEP by giving the principal final approval. They tried to do that in 2010 by revising Chancellor's Regulation A-655 and were prevented to do so by a Commissioner's Appeal (Pollicino).
Now is the time to advocate that SLTs be restored the powers they had from 1998, to develop the budget, also through shared decision making.We should also lobby for consistent training by the DOE as well as a strong grievance process.Contact Cathy Nolan ( nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us) in support of SLTs. She is the Education Chairperson.
The victory in the Open Meetings Law case will be meaningless if the decision making powers of SLT's are further weakened by a rewriting of the legislation.
Sincerely,
James Calantjis
sltsupport.blogspot.com
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-66602843983660922112015-04-23T17:55:00.001-04:002015-04-23T18:34:11.483-04:00Court Case Affirms SLTs Subject to Open Meetings Law
The decision in the case of Thomas v.DOE came out today. It affirms that SLTs are public bodies and must adhere to the NYS Open Meetings Law. The DOE had asserted that members of the public could not attend SLT meetings.
The decision also made important statements about SLT responsibilities. "The role of an SLT in formulating its school's CEP is one of decision maker" (p.9). "If it is fulfilling its statutory role, a schools SLT is not a mere advisor to the principal" (p.9). " In fulfilling this role, the SLT acts in conjunction with and not subordinate to, the schools principal"(p.9).
It is shameful that parents and teachers need to go to court to force the DOE to adhere to the law. Make sure parents, teachers and the principal are made aware of this important decision.
The links below will access the court case.
http://go.shr.lc/1I0USSY or
www.scribd.com/doc/262875757/Thomas-v-DOE-Decision-and-JudgmentJim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-73374965062943389512015-02-16T11:22:00.001-05:002015-02-16T11:22:23.523-05:00CEP Update -Principals' WeeklyCEP Quality Assurance and S/CEP Progress Monitoring
All schools / Deadline: February 27
Please note the updates below regarding the quality assurance process (for Comprehensive Educational Plans only) and progress monitoring (for all schools):
Revised Process for Quality Assurance Feedback for CEPs Only: This week, your network leader or network CEP point will email you a CEP Quality Assurance (QA) feedback report. You should work with your School Leadership Team (SLT) to incorporate the feedback into your school’s CEP; your superintendent will receive a copy of this report as well. As a first step, you should download your CEP from the iPlan Portal and, as noted in the January 6 edition of Principals’ Weekly, review whether the NYCDOE made any updates to your plan. You should make revisions to this version of the plan only; do not use any prior versions that you may have saved. The deadline for uploading your revised final plan to the iPlan portal is February 27.
Guidance for SCEP schools: Note that schools that completed SCEPs received QA feedback and were asked to update their SCEPs in December. If your school’s SCEP has not been fully updated with that guidance or needs further refining, you should incorporate relevant revisions to the current version of your SCEP in the iPlan Portal by February 27.
Process for Reviewing Progress: As noted in the January 13 edition of Principals’ Weekly, all schools except School Improvement Grant (SIG) and School Innovation Fund (SIF) schools should use this 2014-15 S/CEP Mid-Point Review of School Progress document to guide their SLT in a review of their schools’ progress towards meeting annual goals. This document is intended as a guide only; you should not upload it to iPlan. Note that:
§ If your school completed the 2014-15 S/CEP, you should not complete Part 6b – Progress Monitoring for any of your goals. You should use the 2014-15 S/CEP Mid-Point Review of School Progress document noted above instead and incorporate any necessary updates directly into the S/CEP action plan for each of your goal/s.
§ If you are the principal of a SIG or SIF school and your school only completed the Title I Appendix, you are not required to use the Mid-Point Review of School Progress document. For more information about the process for your school, click here for SIG schools and here for SIF schools.
Your network is available to support you in determining if your school met benchmarks and made appropriate progress towards meeting your annual goals. If you, your SLT, or your network determine that your school has not made sufficient progress toward meeting a goal, you, your SLT, and your network should discuss and identify resources and strategies to support your school in meeting that goal by the end of the school year. You must update the action plan(s) in your S/CEP to reflect the strategies that you and your SLT agree upon before uploading your final S/CEP to the iPlan Portal.
As noted above, the deadline for uploading your revised final plan to the iPlan portal is February 27. By March 5, the NYCDOE will combine each school’s S/CEP with its Language Allocation Policy (LAP), Language Translation and Interpretation (LTI) Plan, and Title III plan (if applicable) and post it on your school’s NYCDOE website.
For questions, contact your network leader.
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-28952600433590147292015-01-16T16:54:00.001-05:002015-01-16T16:54:28.681-05:00School/Comprehensive Educational Plans (S/CEP): Quality Assurance and Monitoring Progress
All schools / Deadline: February 27
Please review the updates below regarding the School Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP) process:
Revised Process for Reviewing Progress: You should use this 2014-15 S/CEP Mid-Point Review of School Progress document to guide your School Leadership Team (SLT) in a review of your school’s progress towards meeting your annual goals. Note that:
As first noted in the January 6 edition of Principal’s Weekly, you should first download your school’s S/CEP from the iPlan Portal and review it to determine whether the NYCDOE made any updates to your plan.
If your school completed the 2014–15 S/CEP, you should not complete Part 6b – Progress Monitoring. Leave Part 6b blank and use the 2014-15 S/CEP Mid-Point Review of School Progress document instead.
If your school is a School Improvement Grant (SIG) or School Innovation Fund (SIF) school, you are not required to use the Mid-Point Review of School Progress document; however, you may find it useful to complete the document as you engage in performance management progress reporting. For more information about the process, click here if you are a SIG school or here if your school is a SIF school.
During this period, you should work with your SLT to determine if your school reached benchmarks towards meeting the annual goals. If, when reviewing a particular benchmark, you and your SLT determine that your school has not made sufficient progress, you should reach out to your network CEP point and work with your SLT to identify resources and strategies to support your school in meeting the goal by the end of the year. You must then edit each action plan in your S/CEP to reflect the newly-agreed upon strategies before uploading your final S/CEP in the iPlan Portal.
Revised Process for Quality Assurance Feedback: If your school completed a CEP, your superintendent and network leader will receive CEP Quality Assurance (QA) feedback about your school’s CEP on January 27. Your network will share the CEP QA feedback with you so that you can work with your SLT to incorporate the feedback. If your school completed an SCEP, you and your SLT should revisit the SCEP QA feedback that you received from your network back in December and use this time to make any additional revisions that were not made in December.
The deadline for uploading your revised final plan to the iPlan portal is February 27. By March 5, the NYCDOE will combine your school’s S/CEP with its Language Allocation Policy (LAP), Language Translation and Interpretation (LTI) Plan, and Title III plan (if applicable) and post it on your school’s NYCDOE website.
For questions, contact your network CEP point.Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-47158561708739339062015-01-08T16:21:00.003-05:002015-01-08T16:21:36.296-05:00Principals' Weekly SLT CEP Update -Jan. 2015School/Comprehensive Educational Plans (S/CEP): Quality Assurance and Monitoring Progress
All schools / Deadline: February 27
Please note the following updates regarding the School Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP) process:
Quality Assurance Feedback: In December, the NYCDOE reviewed and provided quality assurance (QA) feedback on SCEPs for Priority and Focus schools to your superintendent, cluster, and network so that your network could communicate the feedback to you and so that you and your School Leadership Team (SLT) could make revisions before the plan was submitted to SED on December 19.
If your school’s accountability status is Good Standing, Reward, Local Assistance Plan, or if you are the principal of a new school and your SLT completed a CEP, the NYCDOE will review and provide quality assurance feedback to your superintendent, cluster, and network in January. Your network will share QA feedback with you by January 30. You should work with your SLT to incorporate the feedback into your plan and make revisions by February 27.
You should download your S/CEP as soon as possible from the iPlan Portal and review the plan for possible updates made by the NYCDOE on your behalf. Check to determine if your school’s plan was revised as indicated below:
2013–14 CEP Covers: If your SLT used a version of the 2013–14 CEP template that was different from the one distributed via iPlan, revisions were made to your plan to update the logo and plan title on the cover.
2013–14 CEPs for Title I Schoolwide Program Schools (SWP): If your school is a Schoolwide Program School that is conceptually consolidating funds, required information was added to your CEP to reflect your school’s funding amounts.
2014–15 S/CEPs for Renewal Schools: If your school is a Renewal school, language was inserted in the overview section to describe the implementation of specific school improvement strategies for your school.
Monitoring S/CEP Progress: During the month of February, your SLT should review your school’s progress towards meeting each annual goal as described below:
If your school used the 2014–15 S/CEP template, as indicated in Part 6 of Section 5 for each of the action plans, your school must complete Part 6b. Your SLT should complete the following steps:
Assess your school’s progress towards meeting your annual goals mid-way through the school year (i.e. in February).
Complete Part 6b by:
If your school met the mid-point benchmark for each goal in the timeframe specified, place an “X” in the appropriate box.
If the mid-point benchmark(s) was not met, place an “X” in the appropriate box and describe any revisions made to the action plan to achieve the goal.
Reach out to your network CEP point and work with your SLT to identify best practices and make necessary revisions to actions and strategies in order to achieve each annual goal.
By February 27, complete the “Part 6: Progress Monitoring” section of your S/CEP and submit the revised plan via the iPlan Portal.
If your school used the 2013–14 CEP template for the 2014–15 CEP, your SLT should use the Progress Monitoring chart to review your school’s progress towards meeting your annual goals. A blank Progress Monitoring chart will be shared in next week’s Principals’ Weekly. Refer to the same guidance for completing assessing progress in the 2014 –15 S/CEPs, listed above, when completing the chart.
If your school completed the 2014–15 SCEP Title I Appendix for School Improvement Grant (SIG) Cohort 4/5 or the School Innovation Fund (SIF) Schools plan, your SLT should engage in your school’s customized review process during your school’s performance management progress reporting time period. For additional information on the customized review process, click here for School Improvement Grant schools and here for School Innovation Fund guidelines for SIF schools.
By March 5, the NYCDOE will combine your school’s S/CEP with your Language Allocation Policy (LAP), Language Translation and Interpretation (LTI) Plan, and Title III plan (if applicable) and post the revised S/CEP on your school’s NYCDOE website.
For questions, contact your network CEP point.
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-17509537294469738842014-11-17T13:29:00.001-05:002014-11-17T13:29:06.461-05:002014-2015 CEP Draft PlanPrepare Draft School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP)
All schools / Deadlines: December 12; January 30
You will receive an email on November 13 from iPlan with a link for downloading your customized School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP) template for the 2014–15 school year. The template has been aligned with your school’s New York State Accountability status. It has also been revised for this school year so that your School Leadership Team (SLT) can align your school’s goals for school improvement with the six elements of the Capacity Framework.
Once you receive the email from iPlan, you should:
§ Download your customized template and accompanying guidance, which will be provided in the email.
§ Work with your SLT to prioritize the completion of your school’s draft plan during the months of November and December.
§ Submit your draft plan for network and central review by December 12 via the iPlan portal; more information on accessing the iPlan portal and uploading your plan will be shared in an upcoming edition of Principals’ Weekly.
As a new step this year, the NYCDOE will post your draft plan on your school’s NYCDOE website on December 19. Because your draft plan will be displayed publicly, you should work with your network to ensure that your draft contains proper grammar, formatting, and use of acronyms before you submit it to the iPlan portal.
Network and/or central NYCDOE staff will review your school’s draft plan and provide feedback by January 16. You should work with your network to incorporate feedback and submit your revised plan for your superintendent’s approval via the iPlan portal by January 30. Following approval, your school’s finalized S/CEP will be uploaded to your school’s NYCDOE website. Additional information about the S/CEP process will be shared in upcoming editions of Principals’ Weekly.
For questions regarding developing your S/CEP, contact your network accountability/CEP points. For technical assistance with iPlan, contact cep-iplansupport@infusion.com.
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1916515051010251048.post-36222840797304127612014-10-22T17:15:00.002-04:002014-10-22T17:21:04.523-04:00
If I am reading this excerpt from Oct. 24th Principals'Weekly correctly,the 2014-2015 Template is only now being released.The problem is that the 2014-2014 CEP is suppose to be in place since September.Apparently, a Goals and Budget alignment form was suppose to be submitted last June.
The SLT should now be preparing the 2015-2016 CEP.This is just another example of how the DOE undermines and confuses the CEP process and makes the duties of the SLT difficult. Also, notice how the school's Network has an CEP liaison person, who is not an SLT member but probably has more influence.
"To prepare for the upcoming release of School/Comprehensive Educational Plan (S/CEP) templates for the 2014-15 school year, you should begin working with your School Leadership Team (SLT) to complete the following steps:
§ Review the NYCDOE’s Capacity Framework to begin thinking about how to align your school’s goals to NYCDOE priorities and address the six elements of the framework.
§ Revisit the Initial Goals and Budget Alignment Form that your school submitted in June as part of your comprehensive educational planning. You can access this form by signing into the iPlan Portal.
§ Review this guidance memo for more information about next steps to support your SLT in continuous improvement planning."
For questions, contact network accountability/CEP liaison
Jim Calantjishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221886305191786947noreply@blogger.com0