SGT Constitution

University City High School Governance Team Constitution

I. PHILOSOPHY AND PURPOSE:
The primary goal at UCHS is to help students realize their full potential through quality education and high expectations. In order to achieve our goal, we emphasize meeting the academic, social and personal needs of all our students. We believe that a positive learning climate is essential for the maximum development of each individual.
Over the years of its evolution, UCHS has developed a wide array of support organizations and committees which represent the various constituencies of our school - students, parents, staff and community. Uniting representatives from all these groups, the Governance Team will provide a forum for initiatives and appeals related to the quality of educational and work life in our school and for an on-going process of self-evaluation and goal-setting.
We believe that this commitment to shared decision-making invites the broadest possible ownership and participation by all concerned in the improvement and quality of our instructional programs and school climate.

II. AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNANCE
A.
 The Governance Team will entertain initiatives and hear appeals which concern the improvement and quality of instructional programs and climate for the entire school.
B. The Governance Team will oversea a yearly process of self-evaluation and goal-setting aimed at insuring a regular and committed effort to address school-wide problems and needs.
C. To this end, the Governance Team is authorized to create the following task forces:
- the Instructional Innovation Task Force
- the Budget Task Force
- the School Climate Task Force
- the Technology Task Force
- the Facilities Task Force
Each member of the Governance Team will serve on one or more task force. Each task force should be balanced, as much as possible, for gender, ethnicity, and constituencies represented. In addition, the Governance Team may form ad hoc committees as the need arises.
D. The Governance Team, through its task forces and ad hoc committees, is authorized to call for information from standing committees or administration, to review school policies, programs, and practices, to survey members of the UCHS community for input, to propose changes in school-wide policy or programs, and to over-see the resultant voting among all constituent groups - parents, students, classified staff, and certificated staff.
E. The Site Governance Team will act as the UCHS Staffing Committee. The SGT will be responsible for staff and community involvement in the staffing selections for University City High School. This involvement will include:
1. Providing collaborative input on site staffing needs.
2. Developing appropriate interview questions for staff interviews in collaboration with the site administration.
3. Ensuring that department chairs/designees participate in the interview process.
4. Delegating to the interview panel decision-making authority for staff selections.
F. The Governance Team is empowered to act on behalf of the school community when its decisions and actions are approved by 2/3 of its membership and are consistent with Board policy, legal mandates, and contractual obligations. Decisions and actions which have a primary impact upon the whole school community require the approval of 2/3 of those voting from each constituency.
G. The principal retains both authority and the responsibility for creating an environment that supports instruction and for managing the day-to-day operation of the school.

III. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNANCE TEAM AND STANDING COMMITTEES
A.
 The following are the standing committees at UCHS:
- Instructional Council: Principal, head counselor, department chairs, librarian, classified representative.
- Principal's Advisory Council: Principal, counselor, 6 teachers elected from prep periods, 2 classified representatives.
- Race/Human Relations: Volunteers.
- Attendance/Discipline: Volunteers.
- Drop-Out Prevention: Volunteers.
- Social Committee: Volunteers
B. The following are support organizations active at UCHS:
- ASB: elected officers, commissioners, faculty advisor.
- School Advisory Council: Principal, representative parents.
- PTSA Board
- Centurion Foundation of University City High School
- EdUCate UC Foundation for public schools
C. In order to promote continuity of operation and regular goal-setting activities; all standing committees will be required to meet at least four times a year, twice each semester. In addition, in order to increase communication among all members of the UCHS community, each committee will publish the agenda and minutes of its meetings both to staff and to the Governance Team.
D. The Governance Team may review policies and decisions of the standing committees at any time and may expect the cooperation of their members. The Governance Team may amend or reverse decisions made by standing committees only when 2/3 or more of the Governance Team shall find that the whole school community has a compelling interest in such an action.

IV. STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNANCE TEAM
A.
 The Governance Team will consist of 11 members:
5 teachers (including SDEA representative)
1 principal (or designee)
1 classified employees
3 parents/community/business representative (of whom at least one shall representent the VEEP residence area)
1 student or group of up to four students (of whom at least one shall represent the VEEP residence area) casting one vote.
B. SELECTION PROCESS
1. Five of the certificated members of the Governance Team will be elected at large by faculty vote. Each faculty member will vote for nine representatives from a slate of nominees and volunteers. The fifth certificated member will be the SDEA representative, who is an ex officio member.
2. The classified employee will be represented by the CSEA and CEA representatives, members ex officio in accordance with district guidelines, or by other elected representatives.
3. The school principal (or designee) is an ex officio member of the Governance Team.
4. The three parent/community/business representatives will be elected by their peers. At least one member will represent the VEEP residence area.
5. The one to four student representatives will be elected by their peers. At least one member will represent the VEEP residence area.
6. Elections for new student members of the Governance Team will be held each year before the first meeting of the fall semester.
7. In case that a member of the Governance Team resigns, the remaining members of the constituency team will appoint a replacement to finish the incomplete term.
C. Terms of Office
1. All members of the Governance Team (except students) will serve for two years, after which time they may be re-elected, if willing, to serve again. Students will serve for one year.
2. In order to insure both the continuity and the renewal of leadership in the Governance Team, the terms of all members (except ex officio members) will be staggered so that 50% (roughly) will be elected in even years and the remainder in odd years.
3. In order to accommodate this process, at its initial meeting, the Governance Team will determine by lot those members who will retire after the first year (ex officio members excepted).
a. Members will regularly attend meetings. Members missing two consecutive meetings will be dropped from the Governance Team.
b. Members will actively solicit and faithfully represent the ideas of their constituents.
c. Members will actively participate in the evaluation, oversight, and goal-setting for which the Governance Team is responsible.

V. GOVERNANCE TEAM RULES OF OPERATION
A.
 Leadership
The Governance Team will elect by majority vote a chair who will serve a term of one year. Beginning in the second year of the Governance Team's operation, candidates must have served the previous year in order to be eligible.
B. Decision Making
The UCHS Governance Team is committed to working towards consensus whenever possible among all representatives of the school community; however, when this is not possible, a vote of 2/3 of the full Governance Team shall be binding.
C. Communication Process
Minutes of the meeting and transactions of the Governance Team shall be regularly reported by the Chair to the community at large using the UCHS website.
D. Meeting Times
The Governance Team will meet at least twice a semester, four times a year, in order to promote regular attention to the on-going process of evaluations and goal-setting which is their charge. Meetings shall be no more than two hours in length. The Governance Team may suspend the above time limitation or arrange additional meetings by a simple majority vote.
E. Quorum
Setting a calendar amenable to all Governance Team members and regular attendance should be a primary importance. In the case of absences, a quorum of 2/3 of the membership will be empowered to conduct business.
F. Agenda
The chair will prepare the agenda. Any member of the UCHS community may propose agenda items and may request to appear to present an initiative or appeal for the attention of the Governance Team.

VI. RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT OF THE GOVERNANCE TEAM CONSTITUTION
A.
 The Governance Team Constitution will be ratified upon receiving a 2/3 majority vote of those voting from each constituent group of the UCHD community.
B. Proposals for amendments to the Governance Team Constitution may be made by any member of the UCHS community. After discussion and fact-finding, the Governance Team will vote on the measure. The amendment will be ratified by a 2/3 vote of the Governance Team.
C. In questions of interpretation and application of the Governance Team Constitution, the Governance Team will seek mediation through the District's arbitration service.

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