District/School Administration Administration
Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Guidelines for Advisory Councils

November 2008

1. Purpose: To advise the Commissioner and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on matters pertinent to the implementation of Education Reform in the Commonwealth and to provide programmatic recommendations, as councils deem necessary, to accomplish the goals established by the Board and the Department or to meet federal or state requirements.

2. Mission: To support the policies of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the goals and objectives outlined in the Department's strategic plans and the Governor's Readiness Project. The Commissioner may give a charge to the councils to focus their advisory work in particular areas.

3. Size of Councils: Councils will have a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 25 members, with the number to be determined by the Department, except where stipulated by statute (M.G.L., Ch. 15 section 1G).

4. Membership: Members will be appointed for a term of three years. No member will serve on the same council for more than two consecutive terms, and a member may not serve on more than one council simultaneously. Members missing more than 3 scheduled meetings annually will be deemed to have resigned from the council, unless the absences are due to extenuating circumstances.

   For councils established by the Education Reform Act of 1993, the Commissioner will recommend to the Board appointment of new members and reappointment of members seeking a second term.

   Councils with openings for new members will have a notice outlining application procedures posted on their section of the Department's advisory council web pages, and the Commissioner will announce council vacancies annually. Members serving on councils may be school committee members, school superintendents, professional educators, parents or students. The councils should have a reasonable balance of members representing business, labor, civic, educational, parental and professional groups, striving for diversity and geographic balance. See M.G.L., Ch. 15, section 1G for more details regarding appointments to councils.

5. Liaisons: The Department administrator of a unit related to the work or purpose of each council will identify a staff member to serve as the liaison for that council. The liaison's role is to represent the Department, post council meeting schedules and other information on the advisory council web pages, and attend each meeting. Unless required by law, liaisons do not serve as members of the councils and are not staff to the councils.

6. Chairpeople: The Department administrator to each council will recommend and the Commissioner will appoint a chairperson or co-chairpeople for each council, with the approval of the Board. The council may elect a vice-chairperson.

7. Number of Council Meetings: A Department administrator and liaison work with each council chairperson in scheduling the council meetings, generally no more than four meetings per year, depending on the needs and business of the council. Because of budget and staffing constraints, advisory councils should plan to hold no more than four meetings in FY09 unless the Commissioner directs otherwise.

8. Meeting Agenda, Minutes, and Notices: The council chairpeople will consult with the liaison to prepare agendas, post meetings and submit meeting minutes to the liaison, and communicate with members and other interested parties via email (or fax/mail to members who do not have email).

9. Meeting Locations and Publicity: Meetings will be held at the Department, at public schools, or in other no-cost handicapped-accessible facilities determined by council members, to the extent possible. Meeting dates and locations will be posted on the Department's web site in advance of the meeting. These meetings will be open to the public.

10. Annual Report: By June 30 of each year, each council will prepare and submit to the Commissioner a brief report on current issues in the council's field that are relevant to the goals and objectives of the Board and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The report will be five pages or less, for the Commissioner's consideration in preparing strategic initiatives. The report will include such information as:

    • Current issues in the field that the council believes are important for the Commissioner to know when making decisions;
    • Steps the council has taken and will take to support the goals and objectives of the Board and Department;
    • Opinions on policy decisions or actions taken by the Board and/or Department; and
    • Recommendations to the Commissioner for future action or for new goals or objectives in the strategic plan.
    
    
    

11. Meeting and Travel Expenses: The Department will provide travel expense reimbursement for council members and refreshments, if budgeted. In light of budget cutbacks in FY09, any expenses must be kept to a minimum and reimbursement is not assured. Liaisons should check with the Department's budget office before making any commitments on funding or reimbursement.

12. Legislation: Councils may not file legislation, take positions on legislation, or lobby the legislature in the name of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's advisory council or on behalf of the Department or Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on any matter.

13. Additional Guidance:
    • Any written communication to the Board is to be presented first to the Commissioner.
    • At the discretion of the administrator working with the council and within the limits of the availability of the liaison, or as mandated by enabling legislation, a council may carry out tasks beyond those outlined in these guidelines.