Santa Ana Unified School District Public Education

Profile

Founded in 1888, the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) is the second largest school district in Orange County serving the children of Santa Ana and the 2nd largest employer in Santa Ana, providing job opportunities to approximately 5,000 employees.

 

 

SAUSD is committed to providing each of its students with a high-quality education, rigorous and advanced programs, and a nurturing, safe environment with state-of-the-art facilities, 21st century learning and technology, and a direct pathway to college upon graduation. Our district proudly boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the state of California.

Santa Ana Unified School District

Protocols: Board and Superintendent Operating Procedures

Purpose:

 

The Board of Trustees is the educational policy-making body for the District. To effectively meet the District’s challenges, the Board and Superintendent must function together as a leadership team. To ensure unity among team members, effective operating procedures, or protocols, must be in place. There are general protocols and those that are specific for the Board and for the Superintendent.

 

General – The Board and Superintendent will:

1. Keep learning and achievement for all students as the primary focus.*
2. Value, support, and advocate for public education.*
3. Operate openly with trust and integrity.*
4. Govern in a dignified and professional manner, treating everyone with civility, dignity, and respect,* while honoring the right to disagree with each other.
5. Define and respect the difference between administration and policy-making and respect the roles of each.
6. Keep confidential matters confidential.* Uphold the legal requirement for confidentiality on all matters arising from the Board Meeting Executive Sessions; keep all conversations taking place in Close Session absolutely confidential.

 

 

 

Areas of Responsibilities

 

Board members will:

• Govern within Board-adopted policies and procedures.*
• Ensure opportunities for the diverse range of views in the community to inform Board deliberations.*
• Attend regularly scheduled Board meetings unless a situation occurs that makes attendance impossible; cooperate in scheduling special meetings and/or work sessions for planning and training purposes.*
• Understand the distinctions between Board and staff roles, and refrain from performing management functions that are the responsibility of the Superintendent and staff.*
• Acknowledge that individual request for reports and projects will be directed only to the Superintendent.
• Understand the Superintendent’s roles to make personnel recommendations and changes in consultation with the Board.
• Understand the Board as a collective body must provide clear signals to its professional staff through its Superintendent.
• Take collective responsibility for the Board’s performance.*
• Cast a vote on all matters except when a conflict of interest arises.
• When possible, visits to school sites should be coordinated with the Superintendent and/or principal, when possible.
• Represent the District, when possible, by attending community functions.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Understand the distinction between Board and staff roles and respect the role of the Board as the representative of the community.
• Make personnel recommendations and changes in consultation with the Board.
• Inform the Board prior to critical information becoming public; apprise all Board members in a timely manner of any major incident or when they may be called on to answer or explain.
• Provide information requested by one Board member to every Board member.
• Distribute the Board agenda in a timely fashion and with enough time for Board to study, and clarify information prior to scheduled meetings.
• Never bring a matter to a public meeting that is a surprise to a Board member or cabinet member.
• Treat all Board members professionally.
• Visit school campuses regularly.
• Represent the school District by being visible in the community.

 

 

Communication

 

 

Board Members will:

• Communicate a common vision.*
• Communicate directly with the Superintendent whenever a question or concern is raised by a staff member, student, parent, or community member.
• Contact the Superintendent whenever contacted by the media regarding an incident, event, or agenda item.
• Communicate proactively with the Superintendent to address questions and/or concerns about agenda items and policy issues.
• Communicate one-on-one with the Superintendent when an individual concern arises; will not allow a matter to fester.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Communicate with Board members promptly and effectively.
• Inform the Board prior to critical information becoming public; apprise all Board members in a timely manner of any major incident or when they may be called on to answer or explain.
• Distribute information fully and equally to all Board members.
• Provide information requested by one Board member to every Board member.
• Provide request for additional information through Board update, special report, Board agenda items, or as a Board workshop.
• Communicate with individual Board members to determine if concerns exist prior to a possible problem developing, and respect the right to disagree with each other.
• Keep the Board informed regarding issues and/or situations that could possibly concern parents, student, staff or community.
• Bring to the attention of the Board matters that affect relationships.

 

 

Constructive Discussion with Respect for One Differing Position

 

 Board Members will:

• Act with dignity, and understand the implication of demeanor and behavior.*
• Recognize and respect difference of perspective and style on the Board and among staff, students, parents, and the community.
• Respect the decisions of the majority vote after honoring the right of individual members to express opposing viewpoints and vote their convictions.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Provide requests for additional information through a Board update, special report, Board agenda items, or as a Board workshop.
• Treat all Board members professionally.
• Communicate with individual Board members to determine if concerns exist prior to a possible problem developing, and respect the right to disagree with each other.

 

Decision-Making

 

Board Members will:

• Understand authority rests with the Board as a whole and not with individuals.*
• Recognize decisions are made only at properly scheduled meetings.
• As an individual Board member, not make or appear to make a decision that appropriately should be made by the entire Board.
• Recognize the individual role of constituents and special interest groups, while understanding the importance of using one’s best judgment to represent all members of the community.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Provide data to the Board members so data-driven decisions can be made.
• Present major decisions initially as a discussion item, then place it on the next Board agenda for action.

 

 

Leadership

 

Board Members will:

• Work with all members of the Board and the Superintendent to become a team devoted to students; be dedicated to making all members of the team successful.
• Participate in professional development and commit the time and energy necessary to be an informed and effective leader.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Work toward creating a team with the Board dedicated to students.
• Communicate the common vision.
• Recognize that the Board/Superintendent governance relationship requires support by the District’s management team.
• Accept leadership responsibility and be accountable for implementing the vision, goals, and policies of the District.
• Bring to the attention of the Board matters that affect relationships.
• Visit school campuses regularly.
• Represent the school District by being visible in the community.
• Model the value of life-long learning.

 

Periodic Evaluation

 

Board Members will:

• Objectively evaluate the Superintendent’s performance and provide appropriate feedback.
• Periodically evaluate its own effectiveness; * review its protocols at least every two years.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Respect and acknowledge the Board’s role in setting policy and overseeing the performance of the Superintendent.
• Conduct a self-assessment prior to the Board’s evaluation of the Superintendent’s job performance.
• Complete the Board’s self-assessment instrument for the Board’s consideration, once the Board self-assessment process is determined.

 

Planning

 

Board Members will:

• Focus on policymaking, planning and evaluation for student success.
• Participate in establishing annual expectations and goals for the Superintendent.

 

The Superintendent will:

• Work with the Board to establish a clear vision for the Santa Ana Unified School District.
• Prepare preliminary goals annually for the Board’s consideration.
• Provide request for additional information through a Board update, special report, Board agenda items, or as a Board workshop.
• Present major decisions initially as a discussion item, then place it on the next Board agenda for action.*