Draft for Public Comment
ABA
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Related Entries:
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Responsible Office: Deputy Superintendent of Schools
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ABA-RA, ABA-EA, ABB, ABC, BMA, IOD, IOD-RA
Curriculum and Instructional Programs
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Community Involvement
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A.
PURPOSE
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The Board of Education is committed to fostering and
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supporting community interest and involvement in the
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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) because citizen
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support of the schools is essential to student success.
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The Board of Education will ensure the ideas, interests,
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and concerns of its stakeholders are considered and valued
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in decision-making processes and that input and involvement
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is sought and encouraged from a broad spectrum of our
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diverse community.
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maintenance and monitoring of ongoing collaborative and
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productive communication processes with the community.
The Board is committed to the
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B.
ISSUE
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Creating processes for community involvement in a large,
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diverse community such as Montgomery County presents
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challenges and opportunities.
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the community are encouraged, supported, and recruited to
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contribute time, knowledge, skills, and ideas to the public
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school system is both challenging and essential.
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Commitment and resources are required to design, maintain,
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and monitor processes for productive collaboration and
Ensuring that the members of
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communication between MCPS and the community.
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processes must create an environment where diverse views
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can be heard and considered in an atmosphere of respect.
These
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C.
DEFINITIONS
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1.
Community Involvement seeks to ensure that the breadth
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of interests and values from across the community are
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heard and considered by the Board of Education,
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superintendent, principals, and other educational
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leaders, thereby enhancing the decision-making
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process.
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2.
Community is comprised of numerous constituents with a
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vested interest in the education of children.
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these constituents may include, but are not limited
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to, Montgomery County residents, advocacy, non-profit,
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parent or community-based organizations; business,
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civic and non-government organizations; local
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postsecondary educational institutions; state local,
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and federal agencies; and cultural, ethnic, racial,
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and religious groups.
Some of
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D.
POSITION
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1.
As part of its responsibility as a community member,
the Board of Education will:
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a.
Develop its role as an advocate, using the best
interest of the students as a guiding principle
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b.
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Engage community members in building an
organizational culture of respect
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c.
Establish processes for community involvement
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through the use of Advisory Committees (See Board
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of Education Policy BMA: Board of Education
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Advisory Committees)
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d.
Ensure community involvement by utilizing
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opportunities for input such as, but not limited
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to, hearings, forums, and public comment
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e.
Solicit and consider community comments and
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concerns regarding the development of Board of
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Education policies and other decisions
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f.
Seek to engage members of our diverse community,
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particularly organizations representing new or
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traditionally underrepresented communities, in a
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committed, productive partnership to support the
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MCPS strategic plan
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g.
Advocate for MCPS students and their families
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through engagement with local, state, and federal
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government agencies
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2.
As part of its responsibility as a community member,
the school system offices will:
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a.
Integrate resources and services from the
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community to strengthen school programs, family
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practices, and student learning and development
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b.
Seek collaboration with a broad range of
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community members and organizations that reflect
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the diverse citizenry and interests of Montgomery
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County
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c.
Seek and support the involvement of local
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organizations, particularly organizations
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representing new or traditionally
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underrepresented communities, in the school
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system
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d.
Provide access and opportunity for broad segments
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of the community, representing the wide variety
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of interests within the community, to participate
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in decision-making processes
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e.
Provide, to the extent possible, interpretation
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services and translations of important
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information about school system programs,
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services, policies, or issues
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3.
As part of its responsibility as a community member,
each school will:
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a.
Seek involvement from the community and provide
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opportunities to strengthen the home/school
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connection
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b.
Establish and maintain regular and ongoing two-
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way communication with families and the community
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to provide information and solicit feedback about
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school progress, resources, policies, and issues
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c.
Provide, to the extent possible, information in
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the native languages of members of the school
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community
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d.
Access community services to support and foster
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academic achievement and positive development for
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all students
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e.
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Participate actively and responsibly in the life
and social fabric of the local community
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E.
DESIRED OUTCOME
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There will be an actively engaged community that is
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reflective of all residents.
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the community’s contribution of its skills, knowledge,
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ideas, and time to support the success of all students in
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partnership with MCPS
The system will benefit from
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F.
REVIEW AND REPORTING
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This policy will be reviewed in accordance with the Board
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of Education policy review process.
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WHEREAS,
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operation
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especially the school in their local community – and citizen
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interest in and support of the schools is essential to their
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continued success; and
Citizens
of
have
the
a
direct
Montgomery
interest
County
in
Public
the
successful
Schools
–
and
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WHEREAS,
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maintained
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home and through citizen involvement in decision-making at the
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local level; and
This
interest
through
good
and
support
can
communication
best
between
be
secured
and
school
and
the
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WHEREAS, More acceptable decisions at local schools and greater
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support for these decisions can be achieved if the community
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participates in their formulation; now therefore be it
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Resolved, That the principal and community should review the
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mechanisms existing in their school for community participation
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in
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should propose any changes which will help to implement this
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policy
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primary
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involvement.
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represented
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racial and ethnic elements in the community; and be it further
decision-making
and
the
focal
educational
associated
point
The
the
in
PTA
policies
guideline.
for
and
educational
this
The
review
principal
viewpoints
and
PTA
and
shall
and
programs
should
for
seek
be
and
the
community
to
have
socio-economic,
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Resolved, That the local community is defined as the parents of
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children attending the school, the principal and other staff at
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the school, its students, and any interested residents in the
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school service area; and be it further
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Resolved,
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ensure that, in each school:
That
the
superintendent
will
develop
procedures
to
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•the principal will establish and/or maintain year-round, regular
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channels of communication with parents and other citizens,
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both independently and in cooperation with the PTA or PTSA, to
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provide
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policies,
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about which the principal believes the community may have an
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interest, or in which persons have indicated an interest;
information
progress
about
and
programs,
school
problems,
and
resources,
forthcoming
decisions
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•the principal will provide opportunities for the local community
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to; a) express its views prior to decision-making on issues
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that
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feasible
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policies; and b) request review of existing school policies
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and procedures;
pertain
and
to
the
local
permissible
school
within
to
state
the
and
maximum
local
extent
laws
and
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•the principal's prior consultation shall depend upon his/her
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view of the importance of the issue, and whether the principal
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is informed by the local community or in any other way has or
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is given reason to believe the local community desires to
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express
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permissible within state and local laws and policies;
its
views,
and
if
consultation
is
feasible
and
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•the principal will take affirmative action to respond to all
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parent requests for information to which they are entitled
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under state law and Board of Education policies, as well as to
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transmit information to parents when the principal has reason
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to believe the parents may need or wish it; and be it further
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Resolved,
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cooperation with the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher
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Associations and the principals' associations, provide periodic
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joint training for principals and PTA or other group leadership,
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to ensure that strong, cooperative and harmonious relationships
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between each school and its community are built and maintained;
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and be it further
That
the
superintendent
of
schools
shall,
in
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Resolved, That the attached guidelines have been developed to
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assist
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amendments thereto by the superintendent shall be presented for
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information
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implementation.
in
the
to
implementation
the
Board
of
of
this
Education
policy
prior
and
to
future
their
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Resolution No. 287-74, May 28, 1974, amended by Resolution No.
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268-76, May 11, 1976; amended.
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