Shared Decision Making in Public Schools in NYS
NY State Law Allows and Encourages Parental Support within School Districts
School boards across the state are changing public comment guidelines that limit what topics can be discussed and how low each speaker has. Contrary to how it feels at school board meetings, New York State Law allows, if not to encourage meaningful participation from the local community (8 NYCRR section 100.11). Every school district must have a district plan in place to include teachers, parents and administrators in a shared-decision-making committee. Current school board members cannot be on the board, that is the only restriction of participants.
This committee is an advisory board and no decision made can force a board to adopt any decision made within the committee, but it would help a school board have a better understanding of the community. There is a limit as to what the committee would be allowed to address:
Can develop a mission statement for the district for consideration
Can develop a school schedule
Can discuss allocation of discretionary resources
Can discuss links with community organizations
Additionally, there are restrictions that the shared-decision-making committee that may not be appropriate:
May not devise a school district budget, that is the responsibility of the school board, by law
May not set a course of study for students that would be graded and classified
Final decisions for instructional programs are the school boards responsibility
While a committee may make recommendations for the hiring and appointment of employees, school board has the final decision
These are the main guidelines for what this committee can and cannot do. This leaves the committee open for decisions that affect the cultural environment for school districts. The committee is subject to Open Meeting Laws. A quorum would be required to conduct business and to make decisions for the district, so these laws apply.
A shared-decision making committee could be used for various issues currently in our school districts. Mental health, book challenges, community involvement and support…these are all topics that can be addressed. Realistically speaking, getting your school board to implement such a committee will be difficult. This action would produce legitimate ways for parents and the community to speak to the school board and bring points of view that are different than the state and teachers’ union objectives.
Review your school district policies and see if a shared-decision making plan exists. If it does, inquire as to who currently sits on the committee and if it is active. If it does not exist, ask why not. This course of action will help identify if a school district desires a parent voice or it is just lip service. Find a school board member who will actively work to get such a committee available to the community and will advocate for the school board to utilize this valuable resource. If none exist, work to elect new school board members who are open to parent points-of-view.