What is the School Based Management Council (SBM)?
The School Based Management Council (SBM) is the governing body of Westwood Charter School. As one of the first schools in the District to implement School Based Management, Westwood has been a successful model for 21 years, with all but two of those years under the charter structure.
Most matters pertaining to school operation, including budget, safety concerns, and physical plant issues, fall under the purview of the SBM. Meetings are held twice monthly and are open to all. Decisions are reached by consensus and the opinions of all those present are considered, regardless of Council membership. The elected members of the Student Council are guests at each meeting, and they also report to the Council.
The SBM reserves the right to change the size of its membership at any time. At present the Council includes:
- Ten parents; seven elected by the parent body to staggered two year terms, the WISE president, the WISE Vice President for Service, and the Westwood Window (parent newsletter) editor
- Ten teachers elected by the certificated staff
- The school site UTLA representative
- One classified member elected by the classified staff
- The principal
How are members of SBM elected?
Election of parents:
Parents are elected for two-year terms during the month of May prior to the school year in which they begin their term. In the event that a parent member of the committee resigns, a replacement to serve the remainder of the term will be selected from the candidates in the parent election who did not receive enough votes to win the election. The vacancy will first be offered to the parent with the most votes who did not win the election. If that person is not interested, the offer will be made to the person with the next greatest number of votes, and so on until a replacement candidate is found.
Candidates for the parent positions will be recruited through a flyer sent home with all students and ads in the Westwood Window, the parent newsletter. Candidates will submit a statement for publication in the Window and will deliver the statement at an SBM meeting prior to the election.
Election of teachers:
Teachers are elected at a staff meeting in August. Those elected must include at least one member of each instructional Family and one alternate, the runner-up in the election. In the event that a teacher resigns, the replacement will be the alternate from the same instructional Family.
When are SBM meetings held?
Meetings are held on Thursday mornings at 7:45 a.m. twice monthly, during most months.
Westwood Charter School will comply with the terms of the Brown Act. To provide access to the SBM, meeting dates and the contact information for parent members is published in the Westwood Window. SBM minutes are published regularly in the Window, after approval by the Council.
How can I submit an agenda item?
Agendas are posted on the parent board in the main hallway of the school. Any parent or staff member may submit items for the agenda by submitting a written request. Items must be submitted to the principal 48 hours in advance of the meeting in order to be included on the agenda.