Resolution on School Leadership Teams

Jan 25, 2008 10:59 AM

WHEREAS, the purpose of school leadership teams as stated in New York State and City rules, regulations and guidelines is to collaboratively determine a school’s educational goals and priorities and the strategies that will be used to achieve those goals; and

WHEREAS, effective school leadership teams exhibit a culture of shared vision and broad-based collaboration among principals, parents and educators in pursuit of a high quality education for every child in the school; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education has adopted an autocratic, authoritarian and arbitrary approach toward school leadership teams by, for example, mandating training even when the teams have already received it, and by setting up meetings for the leadership teams without sufficient notice or input from team members; and

WHEREAS, the revised Chancellor’s Regulation A-655 dated December 3, 2007 has added the clause: “The Principal makes the final determination on the CEP and school-based budget,” thus rendering the School Leadership Team powerless and directly contradicting State Education Law and Commissioners’ Regulations that call for “Shared decision making;” and

WHEREAS, such autocratic and arbitrary actions undermine the ability of school leadership teams to carry out their roles; and

WHEREAS, these actions show disrespect for the educators, parents, students, community members and others who volunteer their services and give of their time and expertise in the name of student achievement; be it therefore

RESOLVED, that the UFT demands that the DOE comply with the spirit and the requirements of its own and the state's rules and regulations and guidelines on the functioning and responsibilities of school leadership teams; be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT calls upon the DOE to model the collaborative, cooperative and professional behavior the school leadership teams are expected to show; be it further.

RESOLVED, that the UFT calls upon our members on SLT committees, where the spirit and requirements to state rules are not being complied with, to report this to the UFT so that we can report this to the appropriate authorities; be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT join the appeal of parent and Community Education Council member from Queens, Marie Pollicino, who filed a class action complaint with the State Education Department on behalf of all NYC public school parents saying that the new Chancellors Regulation A-655 adopted by DOE that strips away the rights and responsibilities of School Leadership Teams to decide on school-based budgets and Comprehensive Education plans is unlawful and unwarranted, and should be reversed; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT mobilize its membership to pressure the State Education Commissioner to direct the Chancellor to comply with state law by issuing a Chancellor’s Regulation A-655 that deletes the words “The principal makes the final determination on the CEP and school-based budget,” and instead calls for shared decision making authority as mandated by state law.

Passed at the Jan. 16, 2007 Delegate Assembly.