James C. Wright Middle School: Governance

This is a portion of a mural at Wright Middle School depicting the African Migration and the Harlem Renaissance.

Governance: Core Group Structure

Committee	Charge	Membership	Responsibilities
Core Group	The Core Group makes sure the other committees have the help they need to get their work done, coordinates committee activities by receiving and affirming recommendations, refers recommendations to the principal for leadership, and monitors the implementation of those recommendations. The Core Group may establish Ad-Hoc Committees with specific, limited assignments and timetables. These committees may be assigned any members needed to complete their task. Recommendations of these committees are passed to the Core Group for coordination and affirmation.	Chair, School Climate Committee Chair, Boosters Committee Chair, Learning Committee Chair, Budget and Personnel Committee School Principal One non-administrative faculty member One sixth grade student council member One seventh student council member One eighth student council member One sixth grade parent One seventh grade parent One eighth grade parent	Review, examine for compatibility with other committees' work and direction, and forward to the principal for action or back to the originating committee for refinement, all committee recommendations; Advocate for the recommendations of its committees; Teach people (students, parents, teachers, other staff) how to facilitate meetings; Help each committee develop a written work plan for its activities for the year; Share information between committees and the greater school community; Help keep committees active by solving problems and finding new members; Constantly reach out to parents, students, and staff, working to get people involved in running the school; Evaluate the successes and failures of the School Council and determine improvements to structure and process which may be necessary and report monthly with the principal to the West Area Superintendent in that regard; Manage, appropriate, and disburse School Council raised funds as it sees fit.
School Climate	The School Climate Committee is responsible for developing policies and procedures and conducting school activities which relate to school climate. Recommendations of this committee are passed to the Core Group for coordination and affirmation.	Principal or Learning Coordinator One sixth grade teacher One seventh grade teacher One eighth grade teacher One specials teacher One student services staff member One sixth grade student One seventh student One eighth student One sixth grade parent One seventh grade parent One eighth grade parent	Evaluate school climate in terms of how individuals and groups relate to one another; Develop a plan for positive engagement of the school's children and families in social, recreational, educational, and service activities; Develop a plan for conflict resolution, mediation, school safety, and discipline; Develop an annual plan for school communications which address the whole range of school communication needs; Develop an annual public relations plan including approval of written or published representations of the school used for general outreach purposes; Develop an annual plan for student recruitment and admissions in accordance with District policies; Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of these plans.
Learning	The Learning Committee is responsible for developing the school's educational policies.	One sixth grade academic teacher * One seventh grade academic teacher * One eighth grade academic teacher * One exceptional educational needs staff member * Two specials teachers * One sixth grade student * One seventh grade student * One eighth grade student * One sixth grade parent * One seventh grade parent * One eighth grade parent * Principal	Establish course offerings; Establish an instructional structure commensurate with the school's mission statement; Establish standards for parent/teacher communication; Establish mechanisms for student evaluation; Establish approaches to and standards for assisting students who are failing; Establish approaches to and standards for assisting students who are accelerated learners; Evaluate the instructional program and work with the West Area Instructional Support Team to determine necessary changes; Participate as lead liaison with the District's School Improvement Process.
Boosters
	The Boosters Committee is responsible for activities traditionally associated with a PTO including fund raising and special events related to school spirit.	One sixth grade student One seventh grade student One eighth grade student Five parents One student council advisor Learning Coordinator	Develop and implement an annual plan for fund raising; Conduct regular1 on-going school spirit events such as welcoming committees, picnics, family go-to-school nights, end of the year student trips, and student and faculty recognition events; Develop and implement a plan for volunteer recruitment which supports the educational and extra-curricular activities of the school.
Budget & Personnel	The Budget and Personnel Committee is responsible to budget for the school and to establish a personnel system which is effective. Recommendations of this committee are passed to the Core Group for coordination and affirmation.	Principal School's bookkeeper One sixth grade academic teacher One seventh grade academic teacher One eighth grade academic teacher One student services staff member One specials teacher One sixth grade student One seventh grade student One eighth grade student One sixth grade parent One seventh grade parent One eighth grade parent	Establish an annual budget for the school within dollars allocated by the district; Advocate for additional resources for the school as appropriate; Receive and review monthly financial reports provided by the district; Work with the district to develop a regular financial reporting system which supports school-level decision-making; Establish an annual staffing chart for the school with attendant job descriptions within the boundaries established for charter schools by the Department of Public Instruction; Participate in the annual evaluation of the principal by providing comment on how well he or she has supported the School Council and its activities. (It is understood that this provision may require specific provisions in subsequent year's contracts for the Wright Middle School principal); Establish equitable hiring and evaluation procedures for all staff within the constraints imposed by the MMSD. Any evaluation performed by the committee will be designed as a voluntary supplement to regularly established District processes; Work toward a positive MMSD/MTI contract; Establish mechanisms for improved teacher recruitment and retention.