PRINCIPLES WHICH GUIDE US
Build on Present Practices - Effective teacher-administrator-Board relationships should be developed by utilizing and improving any procedures of communication which, in the current practice of a school system, are useful in developing school policy on matters of common concern.
Service to Children and Youth Paramount - The Carthage Community Teachers Association (CCTA) and the Carthage Education Association (CEA) must seek professional goals such as teacher excellence and professional ethics, as well as good personnel practices.
Contributions by Teachers - Professionally prepared teachers are uniquely qualified to make important contributions to the formulation of recommendations for school policies which are related to the work of teachers.
Involvement of Teachers - The legal responsibility for the adoption of school policies belongs to the Board. However, before arriving at a decision with respect to important policies which affect the work of teachers, the Board should make sure that teachers have participated cooperatively in the preparation of the recommendation which it will have under consideration. In the event the Board feels the recommendation to be unwise, it will engage in good faith discussions with representatives of the teachers before taking action on the recommendation.
Policies in Writing - A cooperatively developed written Board policy is fundamental to good Board-staff relationships. Written policies shall be revised regularly, shall be made available to the school staff, and shall continue to be used by the Board as the basis for its action.
Role of the Superintendent - The role of the Superintendent is of utmost importance because he/she must function both as the chief administrator for the Board and as head of the professional staff. With this dual role goes the responsibility for leadership. The Superintendent's leadership should result in mutual respect between the Board and the professional staff. It should also result in steps by which differences can be resolved.
Scope - Only matters of broad professional concern are within the scope of cooperative planning as used in the context of this statement. Although the proper handling of personal grievances of teachers is of utmost importance to the maintenance of staff morale, such grievances are not within the scope of such professional planning unless they have been evaluated by an appropriate committee of CCTA and/or CEA and found to be of such broad significance that the association(s) by official action decides to make common cause with the teacher bringing the grievance.
PROCEDURES WHICH WE FOLLOW IN KEEPING OPEN THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
Board Recognition - The CCTA and CEA are hereby recognized as the official agencies representing their respective members. This does not preclude the right of other groups or individuals to be heard by the Board.
Conferences - Facts, opinions and proposals shall be exchanged freely during the conferences in an effort to reach mutual understanding. Participants in these conferences may wish to utilize the services of consultants.
Policy - When the participants reach an understanding, such understanding shall become a
recommendation for policy action by the Board.
Consultant Service - When the Board and representatives of the CCTA and/or CEA experience difficulty in arriving at a solution on matters of great importance, well qualified consultants may be called in by both parties jointly to review the situation and make recommendations. The consultants selected should meet the approval of all concerned. After reviewing the recommendations of the consultants, the legal responsibility for making a final decision rests with the Board.