Effective meetings: School Councils

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Effective meetingsSchool Councils
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Planning for effective meetings

• Planning
• What do you want from the meeting?
• What do you need to achieve?
• Notifying people
• Who is invited?
• Set a date and time
• Preparation
• Make an agenda
• Decide what needs to be decided, what needs to be
  discussed, what needs to be advised
• Allow time for each agenda item

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Effective meetings (continued)

• Meeting processes
• Controlling the meeting
• Understanding roles
• Keeping a record
• Keeping notes from the meeting
• What to do with action items (decisions)

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Roles

• Chairperson/convenor
• Prepares and runs the meeting
• Ensures the meeting stays on track and on time
• Secretary/recorder
• Keeps notes (minutes) during the meeting and
  writes them up after the meeting
• Meeting participants
• Have a say, stay involved, listen to each other

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Quorum

• A quorum is the number of people required to be
  present at a meeting before a valid decision can
  be made
• A quorum is achieved at a school council meeting
  if not less than one half of the members of the
  school council currently holding office are
  present and a majority of the members present are
  not DEECD employees
• A parent member who is also a DEECD employee is
  counted as a DEECD representative for quorum
  purposes
• In the event of a tied vote, the presiding member
  has a second or a casting vote.

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Members responsibilities

• Be on time or send an apology if you are unable
  to attend
• Listen without interrupting
• Listen to understand
• Think before you speak
• Dont speak for the sake of it
• Be fair in your criticism
• Make sure you understand whats been decided

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More on the people side

• Set and agree on the rules of how the meeting is
  to work
• What behaviour is allowed, what is not allowed
• Open or closed meeting
• Be clear on roles - especially the chairpersons
  role
• Manage time

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The meeting itself

• Open the meeting
• Welcome everyone
• Ensure people have received their papers
• Conduct the discussion
• See next slide
• Summarise the meeting
• Point out main discussions and any decisions made
• Close the meeting
• Thank people for coming

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Structure of a discussion

• State the issue or topic of discussion
• Hear the facts
• Listen to peoples arguments, experiences,
  opinions
• Reach a conclusion on whats wanted
• Make a decision
• Record the decision

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Minutes of the meeting

• The minutes of the meeting must record
• date, time, place of meeting, attendees and
  chairperson and apologies received
• agenda items discussed
• all decisions including the names of the movers,
  seconders and if decision carried or rejected
• time the meeting ended
• date, time and place of next meeting

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Meeting checklist

• People notified - time, date, venue
• Agenda set and sent in advance
• Discussion papers sent in advance with a
  recommendation on what is required from the
  meeting e.g.
• For information
• For a decision- that is, a recommendation
• Check any actions required following last meeting

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For more information

• http//www.education.vic.gov.au/management/governa
  nce/schoolcouncils/role.htm
• (What is a school council and what does it do?)
• http//www.ourcommunity.com.au for Help Sheets on
  running a meeting