Shared Governance

Description

Shared governance is the process through which people democratically decide how to bring the covenant to life in the school. The shared governance process includes agreements as to how decisions are made and which roles will be assumed by administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents, and community members. Defining the structure and composition of decision-making bodies and the process by which decisions are made are crucial components. Time and energy must be taken to ensure that everyone understands the rules so that all can benefit from them. In busy schools this is not as obvious or simple as it sounds. Rules of governance must be democratically established before decisions are made, not as decisions are being made.

A shared governance model documents that the decision-making process is democratic and accessible to all. A clearly written shared governance model that lays out how decisions are to be made ensures that all in the school know the rules, and that processes and procedures will not change on the whims of a few or for expediency. Schools trying to implement a new decision-making process sometimes find themselves with two
decision-making processes functioning at once: the old process and the new process. Creating a specific shared governance model can help a school pick its way through this difficult transition.

Q & A

1. Is there a difference between "shared governance" and "site-based management?

Yes. Shared governance implies that decisions will be made in a democratic way, and that many if not all people will be able to participate in making decisions. Site-based management only means that decisions will be made at the school rather than at the central office; it doesn't say who will make the decisions. Site-based management decisions can be made in a traditional top down way by the principal.

2. What kinds of decisions does a shared governance council make and how do these decisions affect students?

The roles and responsibilities of the shared governance council are determined by the covenant of teaching and learning. The council should focus on bringing the covenant to life, which means that the decisions they make will directly affect the teaching and learning process. Thus, if the covenant is focused on teaching and learning and the council defines their role as bringing the covenant to life, then they will make high-impact decisions regarding curriculum, instruction, and the learning climate. Such decisions should result in the improved academic performance and personal development of students.

3. Who should be included in the shared governance process? What decisions should the principal make, and what decisions should the faculty make?

The goal of shared governance is to get everyone involved in decisions concerning the teaching and learning process. Leadership teams or councils should have a majority of teachers. Nobody has the luxury of sitting back and complaining; everyone should be a part of the discussions, reading, reflecting, and sharing that go into the decision-making process.

Those on leadership teams are not so much decision makers as they are caretakers of the process. Their job is to make sure that everyone has opportunities to participate. There is a difference between the way shared governance works at schools and the way that our city, state, and federal governments work. In schools, the point is not to elect leaders that think for you'. Everyone is thinking, and the leaders see to it that this process is followed.

Each school needs to decide for itself what decisions are to be made through the shared governance process and what decisions are made by the administration. Again, the League advocates that the principal actively participate in the shared governance process aimed at teaching and learning. The principal also takes a much bigger role in all other decisions, either by making them alone or through delegating,. At times, the central office
must delegate some decisions to the principal. The key point is that only the teaching and learning decisions go through the time-consuming shared governance process, while all other decisions are made through more efficient channels.

4. What if we all don't agree? Do we vote? Does the district office or the principal have veto power?

Perhaps one of the best solutions to the question is this: Leadership teams first try to reach consensus, and if they are not able to do that, they then vote. The question then becomes: What percentage does it take to pass-a simple majority, two-thirds? The most balanced answer would probably be a 60 to 70% vote. Such a percentage range is more than a simple majority, but not so high as to give a few people veto power.

Veto power does exist at the level of the district office. Likewise, the principal also possesses veto power, and the extent and use of such power should be made very clear within each school and system. Apart from decisions that are ultimately made by the district office or the principal, decisions that go through the formal shared governance process should not be subject to veto power by anyone.

It's important to remember that the way shared governance is supposed to work is that once decisions are made the school monitors the effects of these decisions through action research. The process includes voting, acting, and rethinking. That is, we vote on things, try them, and if they don't work out the way we hoped, we rethink our decisions. This process may help prevent people from getting too polarized in regard to their stance on
a particular decision.

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