II. STELLER ADVISORY BOARD
A. FUNCTIONS
1. The Steller Advisory Board provides the formal level in decision making within the General Steller Community.
2. The Advisory Board will represent all the people connected with the school in making recommendations to the Principal and to the Anchorage School District. It will coordinate communications within the total school community and will involve itself in program evaluation and design. The Advisory Board may cover such items as curriculum issues, appeals, grievances, public relations, etc. Standing and special committees will be organized as necessary.
3. Policy decisions of the Advisory Board may be appealed to the General Steller Community at a special meeting.
B. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Advisory Board shall consist of one (1) student representative from each counseling group of ten (10) or more students. There shall be one (1) parent for each two (2) student representatives. There shall be one (1) staff per one hundred (100) students or major portion thereof. The Principal shall be a voting member of the Ad Board. Each member of the Advisory Board shall have one vote. Vacancies shall be filled by appropriate elections (Section II.D.). Only currently enrolled students, parents of currently enrolled students, and currently employed staff may hold a seat on the Advisory Board.
C. DUTIES
1. Students: Attend all Advisory Board and Operational Group meetings. Organize meetings of their constituents for the purpose of:
a. Representing their constituents to both Ad Board and Op Group
b. Developing and issuing agenda items for both Ad Board and Op Group meetings.
c. Reporting back to their counseling group by summarizing the discussion and actions taken at the respective meetings.
2. Parents: Attend all Advisory board meetings to ensure a flow of information and communication with parents. Report on previous Advisory Board meetings at Parent meetings.
3. Staff: Attend all Advisory board and Operational Group meetings, and organize meetings of their constituents for the purpose of:
a. Representing their constituents to the Ad Board and the Op Group.
b. Developing and issuing agenda items of subsequent Advisory Board meetings
c. Reporting back to the school staff by summarizing the discussion and actions taken at the respective meetings.
3. Principal: Attend all Advisory board and Operational Group meetings. Advise on district policy. Provide budget information upon request for review and discussion by Advisory Board. Allows all all-school meetings. Accepts and implements Advisory Board decisions unless they are in conflict with Anchorage School District policy.
D. ELECTIONS
1. Regular representative/alternative elections
a. Students: Representatives and alternates will be elected from and by each counseling group of ten (10) or more students at one of the first counseling group meetings of the new school year.
b. Staff: Representatives and an alternate will be elected by the staff no later than the second staff meeting of the new school year.
c. Parents: All parent representatives and four (4) alternates will be identified and elected at the All Community meeting held in the Fall. Al least two (2) parents will be parents of students new to Steller. Representatives will be elected for two (2) year terms. Current Parent representatives will be elected by current Steller parents will elect all parent representatives.
2. Vacancies
a. A position shall be declared vacant when a representative graduates, resigns, or in any other way becomes ineligible, unable, or unwilling to hold the position.
b. A position may be declared vacant by a two-thirds vote of the Board if the representative:
i. Has three (3) unexcused absences from Advisory Board meetings.
ii. Engages in conduct or action that is improper or jeopardizes the interests or integrity of the Advisory Board.
c. In the event that a vacancy on the Advisory Board occurs at a time other than during regular elections, the alternate shall assume the vacant position. A new alternate shall be elected by the represented group as soon as an election can be scheduled.
d. Parent alternate representatives will be replaced as follows:
i. If the vacancy occurs in the first or second or third quarter of the school year, nominations will be solicited from the current Steller parents and a special election will be held.
ii. If the vacancy occurs in the fourth quarter of the school year, the alternate representative position will be filled by an appointment of the Parent Representatives of the Advisory board.
3. Alternates
There shall be one (1) official alternate for each counseling group representative. The staff will elect a single alternate. The alternate will vote in the event of the regular representative's absence. It will be the responsibility of the representative to provide timely notice to inform the alternate that an absence is forthcoming.
E. OFFICERS
The title of the offices shall be: Chair, Vice-Chair, Chief of Operations, Secretary, and Parliamentarian.
1. Chair
a. The Chairmanship of the Advisory Board shall be filled by a student or parent member of the board, to be elected at the first meeting of the Advisory Board. The position of chair shall alternate between parents and students every year.
b. The Chair shall:
i. Conduct the Board meeting according to the Rules of Order and assist all the members in learning and following these procedures.
ii. See to the development of a detailed written meeting agenda and post a copy of the written agenda for all members of the Advisory Board at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the next scheduled meeting of Advisory Board. Any member of the Steller Community may obtain a copy of this agenda through the office.
b. If the Chair is absent, the Chairmanship will pass to the Vice-Chair.
2. Vice-Chair
a. The Vice-Chair shall, in the event of an absent Chairperson, conduct the meeting according to the Rules of Order. The Vice-Chair shall alternate between student and parent such that when the Chair is a parent, the Vice-Chair shall be a student and vice versa.
b. The Vice-Chair shall be ready to assume the chair in the event that the elected Chair must step down.
c. If neither the Chair nor the Vice-Chair is present, the Chairmanship will pass to the Chief of Operations.
d. Will compile an email and phone tree of all parent, student, and staff members of the Advisory Board at the first meeting of the year and revise it as needed.
3. Chief of Operations
a. This position will be filled by the Chairman of the Operational Group.
b. The Chief of Operations shall organize, convene and chair meetings of student representatives as needed for the purpose of:
i. Representing the Advisory board to the student body as a whole.
ii. Representing the student body as necessary at any other meetings.
iii. All mail and correspondence shall be directed to the Chief of Operations.
4. Secretary
a. This position may be filled by either a student or an adult. The secretary shall ensure that there is a complete and comprehensive set of minutes of all Advisory Board meetings.
b. The minutes are to include:
i. An attendance record of voting members present at the meeting.
ii. Verbatim statement of all motions and the results of each motion accompanied by the full name of the maker and the second.
iii. Summary of the discussion and action on each agenda item.
iv. Copies of any handouts or written committee reports submitted which are to be appended to the minutes.
c. The minutes are to serve as the record of the actions of the Advisory Board and the intent behind those actions. The minutes must contain not only the motions and amendments, but the discussion leading up to each motion so that in the future, should questions develop, it is possible to determine the intent of the motion.
d. Minutes are to be completed and issued in time for the meeting of the counseling groups immediately preceding the next Advisory Board meeting.
e. The Secretary is the official keeper of the minutes of the Steller Advisory Board. A master notebook is to contain copies of the Bylaws and all minutes from the beginning of Steller.
f. The Secretary is responsible for issuing all official written communication from the Advisory Board to those outside the Advisory Board.
5. Parliamentarian
a. This position may be filled by any member of the Steller Community who is qualified for the position.
b. Selection and training of up to three (3) Parliamentarians will be done annually or as needed.
c. The Parliamentarian of he Advisory Board shall act as an advisor to the body regarding Robert's Rules of Order.
F. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
1. General Elections
At the first Advisory Board meeting following the Fall general elections, the Board-elect shall meet for the primary purpose of organization and election of officers. This meeting will be chaired by the Principal and shall be held within two (2) weeks of the fall general elections. The officers, except for the Parliamentarian and Chief of Operations, shall be elected from within the membership of the Advisory board.
2. Vacancies
Should a vacancy in any office occur, at a time other than General Elections, the Advisory Board shall elect a replacement to serve the unexpired term.
3. No Member may hold more than one (1) office.
G. MEETINGS
1. Meeting times and dates shall be set by the Advisory board and generally occur twice a month.
2. All meetings will be open to the General Steller Community and all discussions at these meetings will include everyone present.
3. The meetings will be conducted using Robert's Rules of Order.
4. A majority of voting members constitutes a quorum. The privilege of the floor does not constitute the right to vote.
III. OPERATIONAL GROUP
A. FUNCTIONS
An Operational Group (Op Group) is established as a Standing Committee of the Advisory Board. The Operational Group will cover items related to daily and quarterly schedules, activity days, management of student's funds, and student decision-making. Decisions of the Operational Group may be appealed to the Advisory Board or to an All School meeting. Standing and special committees of Op Group will be organized as necessary.
B. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Operational Group shall consist of elected representatives - one (1) junior high and one (1) senior high school student from each counseling group, one staff member per every hundred (100) student or major portion thereof, and the Principal.
C. DUTIES
1. Students - Attend Op Group meetings and vote representing the wishes of their constituents.
2. Staff - Attend Op Group meetings and vote representing the wishes of the staff.
3. Principal -
a. Maintain and advisory role related to Anchorage School District and Steller
Policies and Procedures.
b. Reports overall activities and concerns related to the school.
D. ELECTIONS
1. Regular representative/alternate elections
a. Counseling Group representatives shall be elected during one of the first
Counseling group meetings in the fall.
b. One senior high, one junior high, and an alternate will be elected.
2. Vacancies
a. Vacancies may occur due to an individual's resignation, inability or unwillingness to hold the position.
b. A representative may be removed from their position when they have three (3) unexcused absences form Op Group and/or Ad board meetings OR if they engage in conduct or action that is improper or jeopardizes the interests or integrity of Op Group or Ad Board.
c. If the vacancy occurs at a time other than during regular elections, the alternate shall assume the vacant position. A new alternate shall be elected by the represented counseling groups as soon as an election can be arranged.
d. At such time that a representative change may occur, he new representative shall introduce themselves to the applicable body (Ad Board or Op Group) at their first meeting under new business.
E. OFFICERS
An election of Operational Group officers will take place at the first meeting in the Fall. Any vacancies that develop will be filled with an interim election conducted at an Op Group meeting. No member may hold more than one office.
1. Chair -
a. Oversees the development of an agenda for each meeting.
b. Conducts or delegates follow-up of meeting business as needed.
c. Conducts the Op Group meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order
d. Serves as the Advisory board Chief of Operations (see II. E. 3.)
2. Vice-Chair -
a. The Vice-Chair shall, in the event of an absent Chairperson, conduct the meeting according to Robert's Rules of Order.
b. The Vice-Chair shall be ready to assume the chair in the event that the elected Chair must step down.
c. If neither the Chair nor the Vice-Chair is present, the Chairmanship shall pass to the Attendance Officer.
3. Secretary -
a. Ensures that there is a complete and comprehensive set of minutes for each Op Group meeting that reflects a record of the actions and the intent behind those actions.
b. Minutes are to be completed and issued in time for the next meeting of the counseling groups.
c. The secretary is the official keeper of the minutes of the Steller OP Group and places the original copy of the minutes in a notebook maintained for that purpose in the office.
d. The secretary is responsible for issuing a copy of the minutes to all counseling groups.
e. The secretary is responsible for all official written communication from the Op Group to those outside the Op Group.
4. Treasurer
a. Maintains a record of current balance in the Student Activity Fund.
b. Reports balance and recent expenditures at each Op Group meeting.
5. Attendance Officer
a. Maintains attendance record of counseling group representatives at each Op Group meeting.
b. Takes appropriate action when a counseling group has been unrepresented for three (3) meetings.
F. MEETINGS
1. Meeting times and dates shall be set by the Operational Group and occur weekly except during finals week or intensives.
2. The meetings will be conducted using Robert's Rules of Order.
3. All meetings will be open to the general Steller Community and all discussions at these meetings will include everyone present.
4. The privilege of the floor does not constitute the right to vote. A majority of members constitutes a quorum.
IV. COUNSELING GROUPS
A. FUNCTIONS
The basic social and political unit at Steller shall be the Counseling Group. The Counseling Group consists of an advisor, who is a Steller teacher, and a group of at least ten (10) students. Counseling Groups shall meet on a regular basis as determined by the Operational Group to discuss issues, take care of concerns and socialize.
B. REPRESENTATION
Each counseling group will have two (2) elected representatives who serve on the Operational Group and one of whom will serve on the Advisory Board.
1. Student representatives for both Op Group and Ad Board will have an alternate who can attend meetings and vote in their absence. They will notify the alternate in a timely fashion when they are unable to attend a meeting.
2. The two representatives will divide the work of reporting Op Group business back to the counseling group and maintaining notebook in each counseling group that contains minutes of Op Group meetings and any other notes or voting records of interest to the group.
V. PARENT GROUP
A. FUNCTIONS
A Steller Parent Group will be established in the Steller Community. The mission of this group will be to promote parent involvement in school activities and to solicit, address, and make recommendations regarding issues facing the Steller Community.
B. MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Steller Parent Group shall consist of all parents/guardians of students currently enrolled in Steller.
C. LEADERSHIP
1. A Parent Group leader will be identified at the first parent meeting of each school year.
2. The parent leader performs the following functions;
a. Reports to and disseminates information between Advisory Board and the Parent Group.
b. Conducts the monthly Parent Group meeting.
c. Makes reports to Advisory Board and the All Community meeting.
d. Is the first point of contact in establishing communication with Counseling Groups via the Counseling Group Parent Liaisons.
e. Initiates the parent volunteer process.
D. PARENT LIAISONS
The parent liaison provides the Steller staff with a designated Counseling Group parent contact that will assist with creation of telephone and email trees for the primary purpose of communication with other parent members of the Counseling Group. The liaison is encouraged to attend the monthly Parent Group meetings as a representative of their Counseling Group and may perform other duties as mutually agreed upon with their respective staff member. Counseling Group may choose to have more than one Parent Liaison. In that event, the parent(s) and staff member will clearly define the role/duties for each parent liaison.
VI. ALL SCHOOL MEETINGS
All school meetings are special meetings of the student body and staff before, during or immediately after the school day. Any member of the Steller community may call such a meeting. The protocol for the person(s) wishing to convene a meeting is to first consult with the Principal in order to discuss an appropriate time for the meeting. As a rule, the person(s) making the request then conducts the meeting.
VII. AMENDMENTS
The Steller Bylaws may be amended by the Advisory Board provided that written notice of the proposed amendment is presented in writing to the Advisory Board at least one (1) meeting before it is to be voted on. The Steller Bylaws may be amended by the General Steller Community when the text of the proposed amendment has been included in the notification of the General Steller Community meeting.
VIII. BYLAWS REVIEW
A comprehensive review of the Bylaws is recommended to be conducted every three (3) years or more frequently if significant changes occur in Steller governmental functions.