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BHC - BOARD RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF

A clear understanding of responsibilities and relationships between and among the Board and school personnel is essential for a smoothly running and efficient school system. It should be remembered that the Board, school administrators, teachers, and all others responsible for any phase of the work of the school system have a common and basic responsibility—the welfare of the children in the schools. This responsibility must guide all of the Board’s considerations and decisions.

RELATIONSHIPS

Board and Superintendent

The relationship of the Board and the Superintendent can best be described as one of teamwork. They must function cooperatively as some of their functions are not readily separable. However, the primary functions are separable and should be clearly understood by each. The Board is the governing body of the school unit and has the responsibility for adopting policies and providing for the care and management of the schools.

The Superintendent is the ex-officio secretary of the Board and the chief administrative officer. The Superintendent is responsible for the day to day administration of the school unit and for ensuring that the operations of the school unit conform to Board policies and applicable law. The Board recognizes this and wishes to make this clear to all staff members and to all citizens.

All communications or reports to the Board, or to any committee of the Board, from school principals, supervisors, teachers, or other employees shall be submitted through the Superintendent.

Board and Principal

The School Principal has no direct administrative relations with the Board. His/her relations to the Board are through the Superintendent, for the Board recognizes that the Superintendent is the person to whom it must look for professional leadership within the schools. A spirit of cooperation and mutual helpfulness must prevail between the Superintendent and the Principal if the best results are to be realized. For instance, the Principal and the Superintendent must cooperate in the selection of school staff because the Principal is in the best position to know the kind of person needed for a particular type of service in the school. However, the Principal must make recommendations to the Superintendent and not to the Board. 

At all times the Principal must remember that all matters which require Board action must be presented to the Board by the Superintendent.

Board and Teachers and other School Employees

The relationship of the teacher to the Board is indirect. The teacher is directly responsible to the Principal/Assistant Principal and through the Principal/

Assistant Principal to the Superintendent, and then to the Board. 

Other school employees, depending on their position, are directly responsible to the Principal/Assistant Principal or to the supervisor to whom the employee reports, and through the Principal or supervisor to the Superintendent, and then to the Board. 

Direct access between employees and the Board may be obtained through channels established for grievances or through applicable Board policies

BOARD COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF

The Board affirmswill itscommunicate commitmentregularly with school staff on matters of current interest and importance to the strictschool prohibitioncommunity ofat discriminationsuch intimes employmentand onthrough such methods as the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry or national origin, disability, age, pregnancy, familial status or genetic information, and to the principle of affirmative action to obtain wide and representative candidate pools.

 

In accordance with 20-A MRSA, § 1001(13), the Superintendent shall prepare a procedure designed to ensure nondiscriminatory practice in recruitment and hiring for all positions requiring administrator certification, as well as to result in selection of the most qualified candidates. This procedure shall be attached hereto as GCFB-R, and shall be reviewed periodically.

 

Moreover, upon each occasion of an administrator vacancy, the Superintendent shall review the procedure and make appropriate adaptations as may be warranted by special circumstances. In the case of a vacancy in the Superintendency, the School Board shall review the procedure, adapting it asdeems appropriate.

 Individual employees and employee organizations are expected to utilize communication channels established through Board policies, administrative procedures, and collective bargaining agreements and not to circumvent the chain of command and their direct supervisors.

In accordanceCommunications with 20-Astaff MRSA, § 4502 (4-A),are the school unit’s Affirmative Action Plan shall include a descriptionresponsibility of the statusBoard ofas thea unit’swhole. nondiscriminatoryIndividual administratorboard hiringmembers practiceshould andrefrain plansfrom forinitiating in-servicecommunications trainingor programsconversations with staff members on protectedtheir class equity for teachers, administrators, and the School Board.own. 

 

  • 5 MRSA § 4576 (Maine Human Rights Act)
  • 20-A MRSA §§ 1(28); 1001(13),21); 4502(4-A),1051; 13011(6) 13201-13202

 

Cross Reference:

 


Adopted:

  • September 14, 2021

 

Revised:

  • May 10, 2022



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