Utah State Board

of Education

New Member OrientationDecember 2, 2014

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ABOUT THE BOARD . . .

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The State Board of Education has 21 members:

15 elected

6 appointed, non-voting

2 Board of Regents representatives

1 Utah College of Applied Technology Board of Directors representative

1 State Charter School Board representative

1 Utah School Boards Association Board of Directors representative

1 Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee (CMAC) representative

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Board Internal Organization

Board Executive Committee

Chair

Vice Chair(s)

State Superintendent

Staff: Deputy Superintendent

Secretary: Board Secretary

Board Standing

Committees

2014

Audit

Finance

Law and

Licensing

Standards and

Assessment

Board Ad Hoc

Committees

2014

UPPAC Review

Task Force

Board Employee

Evaluation

Committee

Board Vice Chair

Standing Committee Chairs

Legislative

Committee

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External Committee ParticipationBoard members may be assigned to represent the Board on external committees/

organizations, including:

Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee (CMAC)

School and Institutional Trust Lands Board of Trustees Nominating Committee

STEM Action Center Board

Trust Lands Advisory Committee

Utah College of Applied Technology Board of Directors

Utah High School Activities Association Board of Trustees

Utah Public Education Coalition

Utah Rural Schools Association Board

Utah School Boards Association Board of Directors

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind Advisory Council

State Board of Regents/K-16 Alliance

National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)

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WHAT DOES THE STATE BOARD DO?

Appoint State Superintendent

Adopt Administrative Rules to implement

statutes & policies (151 Rules)

Establish minimum standards for all

public schools

Licensure of educators

Prepare annual Budget and approve

disbursements to local districts and charter

schools

Audit the Public School System

Implement the Utah Performance

Assessment System

Administer federal programs (Special Ed

& Title I)

Adopt Graduation

Requirements

Career & Technical Education

Approve Charter Schools

Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind

School Trust Lands and Trust

Fund

Utah State Office of Rehabilitation

(Adult Education)

Define, Establish and Implement a Core

Curriculum (Standards)

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Strategic Plan

The Board adopted a five-year strategic plan in 2010, and has

reviewed the plan each year and made changes as necessary. The

Board will develop a new strategic plan in 2015.

The Strategic Plan can be found on the Board’s website at

http://schoolboard.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013-14-

Strategic-Plan-FINAL-2.pdf

A copy has been provided.

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Key Factors Contributing to High Student

Achievement—Internal to the SchoolAdopted by the Board November 8, 2013

1. Strong school leadership

2. High quality instruction for all students

3. Appropriate assessments inform data-driven decision making

4. Targeted interventions meet individual student needs

5. High quality professional development

A more detailed document is provided. 9

STATE BOARD

GOVERNANCE

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Constitution of Utah

Article X, Section 3. State Board of Education

The general control and supervision of the public

education system shall be vested in a State Board of

Education. The membership of the board shall be

established and elected as provided by statute. The

State Board of Education shall appoint a State

Superintendent of Public Instruction who shall be the

executive officer of the board.

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Laws/Rules Governing the State Board of Education

Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3

http://le.Utah.gov/UtahCode/chapter.jsp?code+Constitution

Utah Code: http://le.utah.gov/xcode/code.html

Title 52, Public Officers

Title 52-4 Open and Public Meetings Act

Title 53-A State System of Public Education

Title 63D Information Technology Act

Title 63G General Government

Title 63G-2 Government Records Access and

Management Act

Title 63G-3 Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act

Title 67 State Officers and Employees

Title 67-16-7 Utah Public Officers’ and Employees’ Ethics Act

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Rules continued

Board Administrative Rules:

http://schools.utah.gov/law/Administrative-Rules.aspx/

R277-100 Rulemaking Policy

R277-101 Utah State Board of Education Procedures

R277-514 Board Procedures: Sanctions for Educator

Misconduct

R277-517 Board and UPPAC Disciplinary Definitions and

Actions

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Board Bylaws

and Policies and Procedures

The Bylaws and Policies and Procedures can found on the

Board’s secure site: https://extranet.schools.utah.gov

A copy has been provided.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

UTAH PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM

State Superintendent

Executive Officer

Veto Power

Board Election Process

District Schools

General Control & Supervision(Educational

standards, licensing, programs & fiscal administration)

Establish School System

NCLB, Reduced Lunch, Title I & IDEA

Funding & Programs

Utah State Office of Education

Staff

Utah State Board of EducationExecutive Authority

Federal Government

Utah State Legislature

School system, budget, & programs

UtahGovernor

District School Boards

State CharterSchool Board

CharterSchools

District Superintendents

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Chief Executive Officer

Brad C. Smith

Utah State Office

of Rehabilitation

Russell J. Thelin

Executive Director

Utah State Office

of Education

Brad C. Smith

State

Superintendent of

Public Instruction

Utah State Board of Education Agency Governance

Utah Schools for the

Deaf and the Blind

Joel Coleman

Superintendent

Board Secretary

Lorraine Austin

Board

Communications

Specialist

Emilie Wheeler

Board Internal

Auditor

Natalie Grange

School Children’s

Trust Section

Director

Tim Donaldson

Board Attorney

Chris Lacombe16

Utah State Office of Education (USOE)

The Utah State office of Education functions under the

direction of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to

act as staff to the Board in implementing its decisions and to

provide statewide leadership, service, and accountability for

the regular K-12 public school program for Utah students.

These students include those who are disabled from age 3 to

age 22.

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Utah State Office of Rehabilitation

(USOR)

The Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR) acts under

the direct supervision of the Board and the leadership of an

Executive Director to deliver the state program of

rehabilitation services, services for the blind and visually

impaired, and services for the deaf and hard of hearing. The

agency assists eligible adults with disabilities to obtain

employment, receive benefits, and attain independence.

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Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

(USDB)

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind provides

education to both Utahans and others in the Intermountain

West who are visually or hearing impaired and who are

between 5 and 21 years of age. The School also offers

parent-infant preschool services and provides outreach

programs to the regular school system as students master

the skills to succeed in that system.

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Board Meetings

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The Board meets at the call of the Chair and at least eleven times a year.

During the legislative session, the Board meets weekly.

The Board adopts a schedule of meetings on an annual basis.

Three main standing committees meet in conjunction with Board meetings.

An Executive Session is held during Board meetings. These meetings are closed in accordance with the Open and Public Meetings Act.

Significant actions of the Board during board meetings include rulemaking, action on educator licenses, direction on standards, assessment, and graduation requirements, determination of legislative priorities, and monitoring of financial accountability.

Roberts Rules of Order constitutes the rules of parliamentaryprocedure applicable to all meetings of the Board and its committees.

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Rulemaking

Information about the rulemaking process can be

found at http://www.rules.utah.gov/abtprocess.htm.

A copy of the process is provided.

The Board uses a three-reading process prior to filing

a rule with the Division of Administrative Rules.

Generally a rule receives its first reading in committee,

with a second reading by the full Board at the same

meeting. The rule is then placed on the General

Consent Calendar for approval in the following

meeting.

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Utah Professional Practices Advisory

Commission (UPPAC) Process

The Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission is a

committee of nine educators and two community members

charged with maintaining and promoting a high standard of

professional conduct and ethics among Utah teachers. It is

advisory to the Board in making recommendations regarding

educator licensing and may take appropriate disciplinary action

regarding educator misconduct.

More information about the Commission and rules regarding

UPPAC and educator sanctions can be found at

http://schools.utah.gov/UPPAC/.

A summary and flow chart of the UPPAC process are provided.23

Access to Board Meeting Agendas

Currently, agendas for Board meetings are accessible in several different ways:

A hard copy of the agenda and backup material is mailed to each Board member (unless declined).

Links to the Board agenda and minutes can be accessed from the Board’s website http://schoolboard.utah.gov/.

The agenda is posted in two formats on the Web at http://www.schools.utah.gov/board/Meetings.aspx. Usually the agenda with backup material is posted one week prior to the Board meeting.

The electronic agenda in PDF format is also available on the Board’s secure extranet site: http://extranet.schools.Utah.gov.

The extranet site is for authorized individuals only. You will receive an email invitation from the USOE IT department to log on to the extranet site.

When you receive the email, type in your email as the User Name. This invitation will expire, so please log on as soon as possible after receiving the email. You will need to set a password—please keep track of the password as it will be known only by you.

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Access to agendas continued

The executive session material will also be posted to the

extranet site. In addition, the material will be emailed to

you as a passworded document. A binder with the

material will also be available during the Board meeting.

This binder should be left at the meeting. All executive

session material is confidential and should not be shared.

An iPAD will be provided to you at your request. Use is

governed by the State Acceptable Use Policy, and the iPAD

must be returned upon your leaving the Board. A copy of

the Acceptable Use Policy is provided.

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Board Minutes/Recordings

Audio recordings of Board meetings are required by law to

be posted within three days of the meeting. The

recordings are posted at

http://www.schools.utah.gov/board/Meetings/Audiocast.

aspx.

A Summary of Board Actions will be emailed to you and

posted within three days of a Board meeting.

Draft minutes of Board meetings will be posted within 30

days of the meeting. Once the minutes are approved,

they remain on the Website.

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General Information

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Board Communications

Board Communications Specialist – Emilie Wheeler

Tips on communicating with the press

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Board Member Compensation (voting

members)

Direct

Deposit

Per diem pay for

official

meetings

Travel

reimbursement

Group Insurance

Plan

Paid bi-

weekly

Direct

Deposit

Paid

quarterly

$3,000 annual

salary

Paid at least

quarterly

Check mailed

or direct

deposit

Taken out of

bi-weekly

paycheck29

Board Member Compensation

Voting Board members receive $3,000 per year in salary. This is paid

every two weeks through direct deposit.

Voting member may participate in any group insurance plan provided

to employees of the State Office of Education as part of his/her

compensation on the same basis as required for employee

participation. For insurance information, contact the Employee

Resources Information Center (ERIC) at 801-538-3742.

All Board members receive meeting per diem for each official meeting

of the Board they attend. Official meetings are meetings of the full

board scheduled at the call of the chair. The rate is $90 for meetings

over four hours and $60 for meetings under four hours. Meeting per

diem is paid on a quarterly basis through direct deposit.

All Board members are eligible for travel reimbursement. Mileage

reimbursement forms are provided at each board meeting. Travel

reimbursements are generally done monthly. These come in a check

through the mail. If you would like these reimbursements through

direct deposit, contact the Board secretary.

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Board Member Travel Board members may be reimbursed for mileage, lodging and overnight

meal per diem, as per state guidelines, for travel to perform board business.

Board members may not receive per diem or travel expenses if the member is being paid by a governmental agency while performing service for the Board.

In-state mileage reimbursement forms are distributed at each Board meeting and provided upon request. Reimbursement forms must be submitted to the Board secretary for processing. The form must be signed in order for processing to occur.

ALL travel arrangements (flights, hotel) should be made through the Board secretary so proper approval forms can be prepared, authorization given, and state guidelines followed.

Board members may decline to receive compensation and per diem.

Generally, only voting members are authorized for Board out-of-state travel. Preauthorization for out-of-state travel must be given by Board leadership.

There is a separate reimbursement form for out-of-state travel.

A copy of State Travel Guidelines is provided.

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Email Guidelines An email on the USOE network will be assigned to you if you desire.

The email is accessible only through logging into Webmail.

Because any email communication among Board members represents

permanent Board records that can be subject to public disclosure, the

following guidelines are suggested for Board members to follow when

using email to communicate with one another.

Confidentiality – No email is confidential, personal, or private.

Emails can be subject to open records law. Board members should

not say anything in an email that would be inappropriate to say in

a board meeting.

Open Meeting Laws – Board members should avoid using email for

back-and-forth exchange on board matters. Utah’s open meeting

law requires that all board meetings be open to the public. An

email exchange among a quorum of Board members could

constitute a meeting under open meeting laws.32

Email Guidelines continued

Public Records – Board members, as public officers, should expect

that their email messages about school board issues are public

records. They can be asked to provide copies of email under the

Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA).

Excessive, Abusive Emails – Board members should adhere to

USOE’s acceptable use policy, adapted from the State of Utah

Information Technology Resources Acceptable Use Policy, and

should not send inappropriate, profane, harassing, or abuse

emails. Also, remember that humor does not always come across

well in email and sarcastic comments could be misinterpreted. A

copy is provided. A copy of the policy is provided.

Signature Line – It is recommended that Board members set up

automatic signature lines on their email system designating them

as members of the Utah State Board of Education. 33

How to Be an Effective Board Member Support and believe in the mission of the board.

Attend board meetings and actively participate in decision making.

Read written materials in preparation for board meetings and decision making.

Bring individual expertise to the board.

Be a team player.

Consider the needs of all the children in the state—not just your area.

Exercise the board’s role as the governing body and try not to administrate.

Use good judgment.

Be flexible.

Utilize strategic planning.

Gain legislative savvy.

Develop good communication skills.

Make time for board service.

Be an advocate for the board.34

How to Be an Ineffective Board Member Always arrive late.

Find a typo in the minutes.

Ask the same petty questions at every meeting.

Drink lots of liquids during the meeting so you have to make several trips to the bathroom.

Always forget to bring your materials to board meeting.

Never, ever read your material in advance.

Talk or whisper to the person sitting next to you, preferably provoking laughter.

Take a little snooze during presentation.

Regularly abstain from voting on positions.

Leave your cell phone on and let its ringing disrupt meetings.

Disappear for months between board meetings.

Sit quietly throughout the entire meeting; make no comments; ask no questions.

Forget the names of key staff members and fellow board members.

Criticize every report from a committee on which you do not sit.

Always leave early, try to go during the most important discussion of the meeting, and make sure it is a surprise to the chair.

*Compiled from “Asserting Leadership: A State Board Mandate” by Brenda Wellburn, former NASBE Executive Director.

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Miscellaneous Information

Following the election or appointment Board members will be asked to

provide contact information, a bio and photo to be used on the Board website

and to be given out to the public. A photo will be taken if needed.

New Board members must be set up as state employees in order to receive

compensation. Board members will be notified of the process, mostly done

online.

A state photo ID will be issued to each Board member.

Elected board members may request Board business cards.

The Board has a flower/gift fund to which each Board member is asked to

contribute. The Board Secretary notifies members when the fund needs to be

replenished and administers the fund. Each Board member is currently asked

to contribute $30 to the fund.

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Websites

State Board of Education - http://schoolboard.utah.gov/

State Office of Education - http://schools.utah.gov/

Board’s secure site - https://extranet.schools.utah.gov/

Legislature – http://le.utah.gov/

Utah State Government - http://utah.gov/index.html

National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) -

http://www.nasbe.org/

Elections - http://elections.utah.gov/

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Staff ContactsBrad Smith, State Superintendent 801-538-7510 801-702-7061 (cell)

Assistant – LesLee Snelson

Syd Dickson, Deputy Superintendent 801-538-7515 801-244-4988 (cell)

Assistant – Michelle Davis

Judy Park, Associate Superintendent 801-538-7550 801-376-2326 (cell)

Assistant – Patty Hunt

Bruce Williams, Associate Superintendent 801-538-7514 801-540-3340 (cell)

Assistant – Cammy Wilcox

Russ Thelin, USOR Executive Director 801-538-7539 801-652-2243 (cell)

Joel Coleman, USDB Superintendent 801-629-4712 801-634-6251 (cell)

Lorraine Austin, Board Secretary 801-538-7517 801-660-7594 (cell)

Emilie Wheeler, Board Communications 801-538-7512 801-707-8421 (cell)

Natalie Grange, Board Internal Auditor 801-538-7813 801-808-0748 (cell)

Tim Donaldson, School Children’s Trust 801-538-7709 801-706-3925 (cell)

Chris Lacombe, Board Attorney 801-366-0279 518-569-9389 (cell)

USOE Main Receptionist 801-538-7500

Contact information on all employees can be found in the Utah Educational Directory at http://schools.utah.gov/main/INFORMATION/Educational-Directory.aspx.

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Key Documents Distributed

Board Strategic Plan

Key Factors Contributing to High Student

Achievement—Internal to the School

Board Bylaws and Policies and Procedures

Rulemaking Process

Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission

Process

Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy

Parliamentary Procedures at a Glance

Code of Conduct

State Travel Guidelines40