South Slave Divisional Education Council

SSDEC Policies Introduction

Preamble

The school board is a legal entity -- an autonomous body created by the legislature -- intended to function in a democratic manner. In keeping with the mandate, mission, vision and common essential understandings of the South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC), which includes the educational services, programs, facilities and resources, the members of the Education Council enacted these policies (some are also known as by-laws) that regulate the affairs of the SSDEC and all it’s programs and facilities, herein set forth in conformance with and complementary to the provision set by the Honourable Minister of Education, and in accordance with the Consolidation of Education Act S.N.W.T. 1995 c.28 - Enforced July 1, 1996; S1-003-96. The policies set out in this manual meet the requirements for by-laws as defined in section 108(2) of the Education Act and the Consolidation of Conduct of Business Regulations.

Policy Purpose & Benefits

A fundamental role of the South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) is to decide policy for the schools in the division. The Council sets its strategic direction to ensure the highest quality of education for all students in the South Slave region – a common point of departure in accomplishing these tasks is policy and governance development and leadership.

The goal of good governance is to enable the Council to do its work and fulfill its mission while reflecting core values and underlying principles that recognize:

• Governance is a manifestation of the Council’s mission and goals, a belief that is based on the unity of purpose and respect for diversity within the communities served by the Council; and
• Governance is founded upon accountability and responsibility, a belief based on relationships that require trust and transparent and open processes.

Written Education Council policies have numerous benefits. Clearly defined policies:

• provide an important link between the elected representatives and all stakeholders
• provide stability and continuity in communities and schools
• establish a legal record and legal basis for action
• voices the views within the region including that of the public and staff
• serves to inform the public about the beliefs and direction of the Council
• aids in orienting new board and staff members
• saves time and effort
• provides a basis for appraisal and accountability and facilitates evaluation of board and administrative practices
• adds strength to the Council’s position when legal actions arise

Policy Process

Any time an issue comes to the Council, three questions should be asked:

1. Is this an issue that will be repeated frequently at future Council meetings?
If so, this might be a policy issue.
2. Is this an issue that affects a majority of the communities and students in the region?
If so, this might be a policy issue.
3. Is this an ENDS (governance) issue or is it a MEANS (management) issue?
Typically, DECs should focus their energies on what they want the region and schools to achieve, ‘ends’ issues, and the management of the school, the ‘means’ is typically left up to the superintendent, principals and their staffs who have been hired to achieve the ends.

It is the wish and the practice of the Council that proposals for new policies or changes in existing policies can come from any of the community at large, parents, Council members, staff and students. Comments or suggestions are welcomed and can be addressed to either the chairperson or superintendent of the Council.

Policy Structure

Policy making in North American school jurisdictions encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices. Some academics in the field have defined policies as encompassing only general guidelines, as opposed to the more specific regulations and procedures. Others have utilized more inclusive interpretations. The briefest of surveys of either the NSBA's (National School Board Association’s) National Education Policy Network Reference Manual or the CEA’s (Canadian Education Association's) School Council Policy Service Database confirms the wide variation in practices in both the United States and Canada.

The policies in this document are broad enough to fit the circumstances of South Slave communities and schools. They are laws that say what the Divisional Education Council in this region wants to do, will do and why. Typically, policy is written in the following format:

• Paragraph 1 Rationale...why is this policy necessary?
• Paragraph 2 What’s this policy going to do?
• Paragraph 3 How is this policy going to do it?

Some of the policy is "prescriptive" in that it mixes together what some might see separately as policy and procedures. Where Council feels a policy needs to be more prescriptive, that policy typically includes a Regulations section in place of paragraph 3.

Specifics of how the policy is to be administered are called procedures or guidelines and are typically decided by the superintendent or his designate. Procedures may be changed by the superintendent and staff at will as long as they stay within the general intent of the policies. Changes to policy may only be made with the approval of the Council.

Policy Codification System

This manual is based on the National School Boards Association (NSBA) materials and Policy Codification System for codifying, locating, and filing policy statements. The Policy Codification System utilizes the letters A through J to identify major topical categories or sections within which school board (Council) policies are organized:

A - Foundations and Philosophic commitments
B - School Board Governance and Operations
C - General School Administration
D - Business Administration
E - Support Services
F - Facilities
G - Personnel and Employee Relations
H - Curriculum and Instruction
I - Students
J - School - Community Relations

Additional alphabetic letters are used to describe, more precisely, topics within the major categories. A combination of two or more letters is known as a code - describer (e.g. IED - Student Absences).

A description of the major sections follows:

A. Foundations and Philosophic Commitments
This section consists of statements which clarify the principles supportive of the public school enterprise. They flow out of the Council’s mandate, mission, vision and common essential understandings, and serve to guide board policy development and administrative actions.

B. School Board Governance and Operations
This section contains statements about the board as a corporate body. That is, in this section, the board is "ruling on itself". It speaks to its own operations, procedures, practices, and its own conduct as a school board. These are the policies that are sometimes referred to as by-laws. This section also sets forth guidelines concerning some of the boards closest relationships -- with its superintendent; its committees; the media; and, in matters related to policy development as they pertain to staff, students, and the public at large.

C. General School Administration
This section includes those statements dealing with policy regarding school district and school management. The organization of the district is outlined. Also included in this section are the policies pertaining to the one employee of the Council, that of the chief executive officer -- the superintendent.

D. Business Administration
This section provides policy statements concerning the finance and control aspects of the school district. It should provide the guidelines for effective and efficient stewardship of public funds. Budget and budget procedures as well as other related matters are found in this section.

E. Support Services
This section includes those policies that speak to non-instructional functions signifying important support services and programs such as transportation, telecommunications, and school emergencies.

F. Facilities
This section is intended to cover inventory control and disposal as well as facility development and construction. NWT school boards are limited in their access to capital funds and influence on the capital planning, design, construction, and supervision processes.

G. Personnel and Employee Relations
These two areas are very closely related, and both relate to the school board’s clarification of provisions for, and relationship to, staff.

H. Curriculum and Instruction
This section deals with the total instruction program. It reflects the schools’ reason for being: to provide the best possible educational opportunity for our children.

I. Students
This section deals with the heart of education -- the student. The challenge in developing student policies is to be cognizant of the collective needs and welfare of all students.

J. School - Community Relationships
This section deals with relations with the general public, community organizations, and other public agencies (including other educational agencies and groups).

This section deals with relations with the general public, community organizations, and other public agencies (including other educational agencies and groups).

Definitions

South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC)	The regional organizational body encompassing all facilities, programs and District Education Authorities within the area known as the South Slave Divisional Education Council, established pursuant to Sect. 81 (1) of the Consolidation of Education Act S.N.W.T. 1995, c-28.
Education Division	The partitions of the Territories determined by the Minister. The limits of each Education Division coincide with the boundaries of the region and collection of communities (Education Districts) it serves.
Council, The	The persons responsible for the governance of the education body, the South Slave Divisional Education Council.
District Education Authority	The elected or appointed members who govern each community-based Education District.
Education District	The partitions of the Territories determined by the Minister. The limits of each Education District coincide with the boundaries of the community it serves.
Education Program	The program of education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 based on the curriculum established by the Minister.
Facility	Any school or any other education facility.
Member of the Council	The duly eligible person chosen to represent one of the District Education Authorities.
Minister	The Minister of Education of the Northwest Territories.
Superintendent	A Superintendent employed pursuant to the Education and Public Service Acts who functions as the Deputy Head and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Council.
Policy	A broad and significant recorded decision (law) of the Council that has been established through a collaborative process and undergone three separate readings/motions of approval.
Regulations	The more prescriptive elements attached to some policies that describe how the policy is to be administered.