Rockville, MarylandOctober 6, 2008The Board of Education of Montgomery County met in retreat at the Carver EducationalServices Center, Rockville, Maryland, on Monday, October 6, 2008, at 9:00 a.m.Present: Ms. Shirley Brandman, Vice Presidentin the ChairMr. Christopher BarclayMs. Sharon W. CoxDr. Judith DoccaMrs. Patricia O

NeillMs. Quratul-Ann Malik, Student Board MemberDr. Jerry Weast, Secretary/TreasurerAbsent: Mr. Steve AbramsMs. Nancy Navarro, PresidentOthers attending the retreat: Mr. Larry Bowers, Dr. Frieda Lacey, Dr. Stacey Scott, Mr. BrianEdwards, Mr. Roland Ikheloa, Ms. Suzann King, Ms. Laura Steinberg, Mrs. Glenda Rose(recorder), and Mr. Moore (reporter).The Board met to:

Identify best practices for managing committee work

Establish protocols and processes for ensuring a proper alignment ofcommittee assignments and work plans with the work of the Board and thestrategic plan

Outline appropriate structures and staff resources for the efficient operation ofcommittee meetings

Establish processes for creating and adopting a committee

s annual work plan

Establish guidelines for dates, times, and frequencies of committee meetingsRe:

Best Practices for Creating Alignment with theBoard

s Work and Strategic Plan

The facilitator, Dr. Stacy Scott, associate superintendent for shared accountability, led theBoard in discussions to answer the following questions:

What is the proper relationship between the full Board and the committees?

The purpose of a Board committee is to vet material, focus and refine documents, set thedirection of the material coming to the Board, and make recommendations. However, acommittee does not make decisions on behalf of the Board.

The committees and Board relations are determined by work plan, review of critical issues,subject charged by the Board, flexibility in keeping with the strategic plan, with the full Boardretaining the power to make decisions.

How do the strategic plan and the Board

s priorities help create the work plan? Are the items in the work plans properly Board work and what is the connection to the work of the full Board?

There is a need to ensure the committee

s direction is related to the strategic plan. At thepresent time, there is variation in how a typical committee connects its work plan, andsometimes it seems that committees get busy with issues of questionable value, and politics(individual priorities) can get in the way. Also, chairs may assume the role withoutperspective and unclear mandates, especially new chairs who have varying experience andskill.

How are the work plan items determined and what is the full Board

s role in determining committee work plans?

There needs to be a clear alignment and connection between the strategic plan andcommittee agendas. Committees also should avoid conflicts of interest (who chairs acommittee and for how long). There is a need to clarify the Board

s purpose in setting policy,adopting budgets, and approving the curriculum.Re:

Best Practices for Committee Meetings

The current practice produces variation between committees depending on the chair. Thedesired process would depend on the full board

s work plan that should drive committeeagendas. In response to the strategic plan, the Board needs to ask “what is the necessarywork of the Board for the year”.

Establishing the timing of meetings, as well as defining priorities, outcomes, parameters,roles, and responsibilities of committee chairs

It was determined that the agenda setting group (made up of the Board officers, thesuperintendent, and appropriate Board and MCPS staff) would set the direction for thecoming year by responding to system issues and setting immediate and long-term goals.They need to focus on immediate top priorities and how to accomplish the work of thestrategic plan for the coming year.

Establishing expectations for the work of the committees

In designing committee work (use for a work plan/agenda), the committee needs to answerthe following questions:How does your agenda respond to current/long-term needs?