Superintendent's Community
Advisory Committee on Investing for Educational
Excellence
Committee
Charter
- Background
In April 2005, the
Superintendent presented a preliminary recommendation on school
closure and student assignment to the Seattle School Board and the
Seattle community. The purpose of this recommendation was an
attempt to focus the District’s available resources on
academic achievement and access to quality schools for every
student. The overwhelming public reaction was a reaffirmation of
how Seattle cares deeply about its students and their education,
how important community schools are, and a strong desire to keep
schools open. The Superintendent’s response was to remove
school closures from his recommendation for balancing the 2006-07
budget.
Although school
closures are no longer on the table for the 2006-07 budget year,
the District’s immediate and long-term financial picture
remains serious. The projected budget gap for 2006-07 is $14M and
for 2007-08 is approximately $20M. Over the last several
months, the community has made it clear it understands the
District’s funding crisis and is willing to help. To
capitalize on this reservoir of support, the Superintendent is
forming an advisory committee to review the District’s
funding challenges, help with the realignment of the
District’s budget to better support its academic initiatives,
and to explore and provide assistance with strategies for new
revenue.
- Appointing
Authority
The appointing
authority for this committee is Superintendent Raj Manhas. The
committee is established pursuant to Board Policy F03.00, Community
Advisory and Oversight Committees, and accompanying Board Procedure
F03.01.
- Charge
A. Overall
Charge
Provide
recommendations on the development and implementation of a short
and long-term financial plan/strategy to advance academic
achievement and make every school a quality school.
B. The
committee’s scope of work should include, but not be limited
to:
- Assess the
District’s current and long-term fiscal
condition.
- Identify
efficiencies, cost savings and ways to realign the District’s
budget to better support the academic vision.
- Identify options to
achieve long-term fiscal stability, including structural changes,
as well as ways to increase revenue.
- Recommend strategies
for communicating to and receiving input from the public on these
issues.
- The committee will be
expected to seek input from parents, families and the public in the
formulation of its recommendations.
- Number and
Qualifications of Committee Members
There will be 12-15
committee members, representing a cross-section of community
leaders, parents/guardians, business leaders, and other concerned
individuals.
The qualifications of
committee members should include one or more of the following:
financial expertise; experience in leadership roles of large
organizations; managing budgets of large organizations; marketing
and communication; expertise in K-12 academic issues; and passion,
interest and/or experience with the K-12 public education
system.
- Notification
Process, Contact Information and Selection of the
Committee
Notification of the
proposed establishment of the committee and the opportunity to
apply or be considered for membership will include:
- District
website
- District e-mail
lists, including key communicators, all District staff, and all who
have e-mailed to the District website reshaping@seattleschools.org
- E-mail to principals,
the Seattle Council of the PTSA, and the District’s Equity
and Race Relations Advisory Committee with a request to share the
information with their communities
- News-release to all
media outlets, including community and special interest
publications
Persons interested in
being considered for appointment to the committee, or who would
like to nominate someone else, should submit their name, address,
phone number, e-mail address (if available) and a brief description
of their background and reason for interest to:
Seattle
Public Schools
Public
Affairs Dept. M/S 32-170
P O Box
34165
Seattle,
WA 98124-1165
Or e-mail:Publicaffairs@SeattleSchools.org
In the interest of
establishing the committee in an expedient manner,
the deadline for application/nomination is Friday, June
17, 2005 at 5:00 PM.
The appointment of all
committee members will be made by the Superintendent, who may
accept or reject any nomination. The Superintendent will also
appoint the chair or co-chairs of the committee.
- Term of
Committee and Manner and Timing of Expected Work
Product
The term of the
committee is anticipated to last until December 31, 2005. The term
of appointment may be extended upon mutual agreement of the
committee and the Superintendent.
The committee will be
expected to produce a set of written recommendations to the
Superintendent by December 15, 2005. The committee should consider
whether to produce interim or draft reports.
- Meeting
Schedule and Location
The committee will
determine the meeting schedule and location. In accordance with
Board Procedure F03.01, the meetings will be open to the public and
minutes will be kept.
- Staff
Support
The Superintendent
will identify and assign appropriate staff support to the
committee. The cost of the staff support has not been
determined.
