Purpose:
To provide newly elected Board of Education members with an orientation to their role, the educational structure and school operating procedures. 

Goals of the Orientation Program:

A. To develop an insight as to the role and responsibility of a Board of Education member.

B. To develop an understanding of the structure within both the New York State Public School System and our local school district.

C. To obtain information on the functions of the various departments and Areas of responsibilities within our school system.

D. To increase the level of awareness regarding the mission of our school system and the inherent responsibility as an educational institution.
 

Activities for Conducting the Orientation Program:

A. To provide a series of informal meeting sessions, involving the newly elected board member(s), current board members, and school personnel. The purposes of these sessions would be to both provide information and a forum for questions and answers.

B. To distribute the policy manual, operating procedures, collective bargaining contracts, etc.

C. To issue an invitation to the newly elected board member(s) to participate in the annual seminars for new school board members presented by the New York State School Boards Association and by the Central New York School Boards Association.

D. To offer an opportunity to tour school district buildings.
 

Schedule of Topics to be Included in the Orientation Program

Recommended in Three Sessions

Session I - Conducted by:
Superintendent of Schools
President of the Board of Education

A. Role of a School Board Member:

          1) Legal authority

2) Feedback from experienced Board Member

B. Role of the Superintendent:

1) Legal authority

2) Responsibility to the Board of Education

3) Chain of Command

C. Structure of the public school system:

1) New York State Legislature

2) Board of Regents

3) Commissioner of Education

1) State Education Department

2) District Superintendent

3) Local district organizational chart

4) School district policies

D. School Boards Associations:

1) NYSSBA

2) Area Director

3) County School Boards Association

E. Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES):

1) Election of Board Members

2) Component districts

3) BOCES Services

4) Voting on the BOCES Administrative Budget

Session II - Conducted by:
Superintendent of Schools
President of the Board of Education
Administrative Staff

F. District Shared Decision Making Plan:

1) What is the Shared Decision Making Plan?

2) Shared Decision Making Planning Teams

G. District Strategic Plan:

1) Belief

2) Mission

3) Goals

4) Parameters

5) Strategies

6) Action Plans

H. Collective bargaining and personnel management:

1) Taylor Law: negotiations, impasse, mediation

2) Employee unit contracts

3)Tenure appointments

4) Civil Service appointments

I. School budget development process: (Assistant Superintendent for Business)

1) Overview of budget

2) State Aid

3) School Tax calculation

4) Federal and state funded programs

J. District Support Services:

1) Pupil Transportation (Transportation Supervisor)

2) Buildings and Grounds (Superintendent of Building and Grounds)

3) Food Services (Director of Food Services)

 

Session III - Conducted by:
Superintendent of Schools
President of the Board of Education
Administrative Staff

K. Curriculum and Instruction: (Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Director of
Curriculum and Special Programs)

1) Elementary school course of study

2) Middle school course of study

3) High school course of study/requirements for graduation

4) District curriculum development

5) Statewide assessments

6) Technology (Director of Information Systems)

L. Special Education: (Director of Special Education)

1) Public Law 94-142/least restrictive environment

2) Committee on Special Education

3) Committee on Preschool Special Education

4) Programs for students with handicapping conditions

5) BOCES/local district programs

M. Athletics Program: (Director of Athletics)

1) Scope of program

2) Code of Conduct

3) Academic Eligibility

4) NYSPHSAA, Section 3