Board Committee 4.6
Board committees, when established, will be used to support the work of
the Board and to reinforce the wholeness of the Board’s job. The role of a committee is to make
recommendations to the board and never to interfere with delegations of
authority from the Board to the Superintendent.
Accordingly:
1)
Board
committees are to assist the Board to do its job, not to direct or advise the
staff. Committees ordinarily will assist the Board by preparing policy
alternatives and implications for Board consideration. In keeping with the
Board’s broader focus, Board committees will not have direct dealing with staff
operations unless specifically given that authority by the Board.
2)
Board
committees may not speak or act for the Board except when formally given such
authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Expectations and authority
will be carefully stated by the Board to assure that committee authority will
not conflict with authority delegated to the Superintendent.
3)
Board
committees may not exercise authority over the Superintendent or staff. Because
the Superintendent works for the full Board, any direction to the
Superintendent related to a committee recommendation must come from the full
Board.
4)
Board
committees are expected to avoid over-identification with organizational parts
rather than the whole. Board committees
are to evaluate specific issues in the context of the entire organization. Monitoring organizational performance is the
responsibility of the full Board, not withstanding the work of a Board
committee that has helped create a policy.
5)
All
committees will be ad hoc and formed only by board action, whether or not they
are called committees and whether or not they include Board members. It does
not apply to committees formed under the authority of the Superintendent. All
Board committee meetings are subject to the Vermont Open Meetings Law.
Date
Adopted: July 1, 2007