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Board Policies 8000 - Internal Board Policies
Board Policy 8100 - Board of Education Standing Committees And Focus Work Groups

Board Policy 8100 - Board of Education Standing Committees And Focus Work Groups

I. Statement

  1. The Board of Education (Board) is committed to providing a transformative educational experience for students which is anchored by excellence in equity, developing 21st century competencies, and enabling each student’s individual intelligence to thrive. To accomplish this, the Board will establish:
    1. Standing committees with their respective charges and membership criteria; and
    2. Time-specific focus work groups that address issues affecting the academic development of students, system operations and community engagement.
  2. Standing committees and focus work groups are not designed to substitute for the authority of the Board and should avoid any actions, decisions or behavior that impede on the Board’s authority.

II. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set forth guidelines that are required to be followed in the establishment, membership selection, and operations of all Board’s standing committees and focus work groups. Standing committees and focus work groups formed under this policy must comply with the Open Meetings Act.

III. Definitions

  1. Focus work group – A focus work group is one which consists of Board members assembled for achieving a specific purpose within a specific timeframe. It is advisory in nature. Focus work groups may include content experts and community members who are not Board members.
  2. Presiding officer – The Chair of a standing committee; or in the Chair’s absence, the Vice Chair; or in the absence of both, a member designated by the Chair of the Board.
  3. Standing committee – A standing committee is one which consists of Board members assembled for an on-going purpose to facilitate Board decisions. It is advisory in nature.

IV. Standards

  1. Standing Committees
    1. The Board shall have the following three (3) standing committees:
      1. Academic Achievement;
      2. Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs; and
      3. Policy and Governance
    2. Committee meetings shall be open to the public
    3. Committee Member Appointments
      1. Each Board member shall serve on at least one (1) standing Each standing committee shall have at least four (4) and no more than five (5) Board members. A standing committee quorum shall consist of three (3) committee members. The Student Board member shall serve as a member of any two (2) standing committees. The Board Chair shall serve as a voting member of one (1) standing committee and shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the remaining standing committees.
      2. The term of committee appointments shall start on July 1st. Members may be reappointed to standing However, a Board member may chair a standing committee for only two (2) consecutive years. The Board Chair will make committee member assignments annually in June after consultation with members of the Board who will provide a comprehensive ranking of their committee preference(s) no later than June 15. The Board Chair will attempt to assign members to their first or second committee choice. New members joining the Board outside the assignment period shall be assigned by the Board Chair based on preference and/or existing committee vacancies. The Board Chair will also contact the student member of the Board, prior to their term on the Board, to select a committee(s) to serve on.
      3. Any Board member may attend committee meetings as an Input from Board members who are not a member of the committee shall be made with the approval of the committee Chair.
    4. Committee Officers
      1. The Chair and Vice Chair of each committee shall be selected by the Board Chair, after consultation with the Board Vice Chair, in June.
      2. A Board member may only serve as Chair of one (1) standing committee. The committee Chair shall serve as the presiding officer of the committee, while the committee Vice Chair shall preside in the absence of the committee Chair.
    5. Administrative Staff Attendance
      1. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) shall designate one executive staff member to serve as a liaison to each committee. The CEO/designee shall keep the committee informed of administrative actions and initiatives within its jurisdiction and provide pertinent information needed for the work of the committee.
      2. The Director of the Board Staff Office shall designate one Board Office staff member to support each committee. Neither the CEO’s designee nor the Board Office’s assigned staff member shall have voting rights.
    6. Meeting Schedule
      Each committee shall meet at least every other month beginning in August, where the June meeting is used to select the committee leadership and begin to craft the committee’s work plan. Each committee shall report publicly on its activities through an oral presentation by the committee Chair at Board meetings at least three (3) times per year.
    7. Board Meeting Standing Committee Oral Presentation Schedule 
      1. Introduction of Committee Members and Committee Charge
        1. September – Fiscal Affairs and Budget
        2. October – Policy and Governance
        3. November – Academic Achievement
      2. Progress Report
        1. December – Fiscal Affairs and Budget
        2. January – Policy and Governance
        3. February – Academic Achievement
      3. Outcomes and Outputs
        1. March – Fiscal Affairs and Budget
        2. April – Policy and Governance
        3. May – Academic Achievement

Purpose of Standing Committees

  1. Academic Achievement Committee
    1. The Academic Achievement Committee is charged with working collaboratively to:
      1. Explore and support new ideas, innovations, and policies that will focus on closing academic achievement gaps; improving outcomes in priority schools and with underserved populations; enhancing outcomes for high-performing schools and students to reach higher levels of excellence; and
      2. Attain educational excellence by providing every PGCPS student with a premier education characterized by innovative, relevant, and accessible learning and development opportunities that build 21st century competencies. The committee’s portfolio shall also include addressing issues involving educational equity and effective and timely parent and community engagement with the school system.
    2. The chair of the Academic Achievement Committee, or their designee, shall serve as the Board’s liaison to the Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE).
  2. Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee
    The Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee is charged, on behalf of the Board, with reviewing issues involving school system operations, budget and fiscal affairs. The committee is also responsible for reviewing issues pertaining to the management and audit of functions in PGPCS, reviewing and providing recommendations regarding fiscal, capital, and human resources, including the Board’s operating budget, the Capital Improvement Program, staffing plans and allocations. The Board’s Director of Internal Audit shall attend the meetings of this standing committee. A member of this committee shall serve as the Board’s liaison to the Minority Based Enterprise (MBE)/County- Based Business (CBB) Advisory Council.
  3. Policy and Governance Committee
    1. The Policy and Governance Committee is charged with facilitating short and long- range strategic planning for PGCPS, and providing oversight of Board policy, legislative and government matters involving federal, state, county and municipal governmental agencies and officials. The committee shall ensure that Board governing policies are current, and compliant with federal, state and county laws and consistent with best practices in public education.
    2. Policy recommendations or proposals require Board action and approval and shall be presented in regular Board meeting sessions. Policy recommendations or proposals shall align with the PGCPS vision, mission and values, as well as applicable federal, state, and local laws.
    3. In December of each year, the committee shall develop the legislative agenda for the year for the Board to consider. The committee shall also review proposed federal, state and county proposed legislation and recommend positions to the Board. The committee shall monitor the development of Board policies and associated administrative procedures to ensure effective implementation of approved legislation.
    4. The chair of the Policy and Governance standing committee, or their designee, shall serve as the Board’s liaison to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) Legislative Committee.
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B. Focus Work Groups

  1. Board members may present a focus work group proposal for consideration by the Board during a public Board meeting. The proposal must be sent to the Board Chair at least ten (10) working days before a scheduled public Board meeting for inclusion in the meeting’s agenda. Focus work group proposals shall include:
    1. Charge of the focus work group;
    2. Goals for the focus work group and how the goals relate to the Mission, Vision and Core Values of the Board;
    3. Recommended focus group members;
    4. Resumes of recommended focus group members who are not Board members; and
    5. A proposed timeline of focus work group activity.
  2. Each focus work group shall be approved by the Board during a public Board meeting. Modification to the approved focus work group charge, membership, and/or timeline must be approved by the Board at a public board meeting.
  3. The focus work group shall provide an interim written progress report to the Board halfway through the term of the group, and a final report upon conclusion of the term at a public Board Meeting. The final report shall be presented and discussed at a public Board meeting within 30 days following the completion of the focus work group’s work.
  4. A focus work group shall be chaired by a Board member. The number of Board members shall be limited to less than a Board quorum. Focus work groups may include content experts and community members who are not Board Board members. Board Members may attend focus work group meetings as observers if they are not members of the focus work group. Input from observing Board members must be made to the Chair of the focus work group.
  5. The CEO shall designate one executive staff member to work with each focus work. The CEO’s designee shall keep the focus work group informed of administrative actions and initiatives within its jurisdiction and provide pertinent information needed for the work of the group. Neither the CEO’s designee nor the Board’s assigned staff member shall have voting rights.
  6. The Director of the Board Staff Office shall designate a Board staff member to support each focus work group. The Board staff member will take minutes of all meetings and shall maintain a file of approved minutes and other significant focus work group documents. This file shall be maintained in the Board Office and be available to Board members, PGCPS administrative staff, and the general public.

V. Implementation and Responsibilities

The CEO will shall designate an executive staff member to attend each standing committee meeting.

VI. References

  1. Legal
    § 4-401, Md. Code Ann., Educ.
    §§ 3-101, et seq., Md. Code Ann., GP
  2. Other Board Policies
    Bylaw 9340 – Policy Development
    Bylaw 9360 – Meetings of the Board
  3. Relevant Data Sources
  4. Other

VII. History

ADOPTED:
Policy Adopted:

REVIEWED:
Policy Revised
4/9/19

Policy Revised
12/10/20

EFFECTIVE:
04/27/2023

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About This Policy

Updated April 27, 2023

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