Develop Policies or Ulcers
What Is The Issue?
As a Christian school board member or administrator, you have considerable responsibilities before the Lord and the people in His school system. One of those responsibilities is to develop or update your school’s board policy manual. If your school has a current, written Policy Manual, congratulations! There are many schools, however, whose policy manuals do not reflect the actual operation of the school. Several schools have policies, but they are found in various places. Many schools are in the process of updating their policy manuals. A well-developed, written policy manual will keep the administrator from making capricious and arbitrary decisions.
School board policies and procedures help an administrator know what to do and what not to do. Setting school board policies and procedures by which a Christian school operates is one of the school board’s main functions. Next to the Bible, a policy and procedures manual is the most important book in giving direction to the board and administration on the daily operation of the school. A well-developed, written policy manual will assist the administrator in making decisions that reflect the board’s thinking. A school that is concerned about reducing potential litigation, should have a good policy and procedures manual in place!
"Properly administering a Christian school is a most difficult task. A well-designed policy manual gives the chief Christian school administrator the protection necessary to efficiently handle questions and problems encountered daily. It provides formal answers immediately, many of which could not wait until a regularly scheduled board meeting day. The well-designed policy manual becomes the administrator’s key resource. It frequently saves him/her from a "top of the head" decision which might well be emotionally influenced at the time." (Mills, Dennis W. (1991) Encyclopedia of Christian School Board Policies & Procedures. Whittier, CA: The Association of Christian Schools International. p. iii.)
Board Policies shall consist of written statements officially adopted by the School Board to govern its own operation and to serve as guides for administrative action. These statements should be specific enough to give clear direction and guidance to the principal and staff, but broad enough to allow for the use of administrative skill and discretion in making decisions.
Board Policies, in statement form, should be developed and revised as needed to establish stability in Board operations and should serve to prevent indecisive and incorrect behavior.
The principal should further develop the written policy system of operation by expressing directions to the staff in the form of written statements called Administrative Procedures. These statements should come within the boundaries of policies of the Board, statutes of the State or Province, regulations of various Accreditation Commissions, and should be developed by the principal to design and implement plans and procedures to achieve goals and objectives of the school system.
Christian school leaders also need to review the policies that have already been formulated to
determine how the policies have been implemented.
The Board should follow through the policies it has formulated. It shall evaluate how the policies have been executed by the school staff and shall weigh the results. The Board shall rely on the school staff and the parents for providing evidence of the effect of the policies which it has adopted.
The Board should also strive to keep its policies up-to-date. To achieve this end, it directs the principal to call to its attention policies that are in need to revision. It gives him authority to call in all Policy Manuals at such time as is convenient, but at least once annually, for purposes of updating.
Staff Involvement in Policy Development
In the development of policies affecting personnel, the Board may seek the judgment and counsel of appropriate personnel before adopting such policies.
Members of the staff may initiate consideration of policies which will be processed through regular channels and, whenever appropriate, will be considered and acted upon by the Board.
The administrative staff and the Board will work cooperatively with individual employees to improve the teaching and learning environment.
The intent and spirit of these provisions are to gain the most complete and reliable information on which to base decisions and to provide for the maximum practical interaction by way of regular administrative channels.
Abbott Loop Christian School has found it convenient to organize all of their policies and procedures into four series:
Regardless of how the policies and procedures are organized, it is important for the manual to be referenced in a method that will facilitate the addition, deletion, or amendment of future policies.
What Are The Common Problems Faced
By Christian School Board Members?
Problem: Time is wasted at board meetings working out new policies when the board has previously discussed and arrived at a satisfactory policy or procedure in a prior meeting.
Solution: The board’s policies and procedures manual should be at every board meeting along with the minutes of previous meetings. Every board member should have their own copy of the minutes and the board policy manual. A well-organized manual is essential to avoid wasting time. Most word processing programs allow a person to flag key words. A table of contents and an index can be automatically created using these "flagged words." This will permit a board member to quickly check their policy handbook to see if the board is discussing a topic that is already covered in the school’s policy handbook.
Regardless of how the policies and procedures are organized, it is important for the manual to be referenced in a method that will facilitate the addition, deletion, or amendment of future policies. The policies in The Encyclopedia of Christian School Board Policies & Procedures from ACSI are grouped into four areas: (1) school board policies, (2) financial policies, (3) personnel policies, and (4) student policies.
Problem: Our school needs a policy manual, but it will take forever to publish one.
Solution: ACSI publishes The Encyclopedia of Christian School Board Policies & Procedures not only in print, but also on disks in Macintosh and IBM format. Schools can quickly modify or delete policies with a few keystrokes. New policies adopted by the board can be inputted and the board policy manual will always be current.
Problem: Christian schools today face potential litigation.
Solution: Courts will generally uphold policy that is in writing as long as it is not contrary to law. Employee termination, grievance procedures, student admissions, and student discipline represent just a few areas that Christian schools need well-developed policies that have been reviewed by local legal counsel.
Once the policies have been adopted by the Board, they need to be communicated to effectively to all those affected by those policies.
What Do Others Say?
Setting policy allows a board to help staff members make some decisions automatically within certain guidelines. Financial policy, for example, is what we always do or what we never do when it comes to money. If a board’s financial policy states, "We never allow our bills to be due beyond thirty days," the staff member with a bill thirty-one days old knows he should not wait to pay it...the decision to pay is automatic.
Basic policies and standards were well-understood in the early years of the school, but they were never written out and adopted by the board for placement and in a policy manual.
These statements [board policies] should be specific enough to give clear direction and guidance to the principal and staff, but broad enough to allow for the use of administrative skill and discretion in making decisions. (White, Raymond (1988). Developing a Board Policy Manual. (Seminar), Seattle, WA: ACSI Northwest Teachers’ Convention, audio transcript.)
Board Policies, in statement form, should be developed and revised as needed to establish stability in Board operations and should serve to prevent indecisive and incorrect behavior. (Mills, Dennis W.(1991) Encyclopedia of Christian School Board Policies and Procedures. Whittier, CA: The Association of Christian Schools International, p. iv.)
What Are Key Biblical Principles?
Principle One: Christian School Administrators And Board Members Need To Follow Their Responsibilities Decently And In Order.
Without written guidelines (policies and procedures) an administrator could make a decision that would not reflect the board’s direction. Policies help to assure continuity, stability, and consistency in the oversight of the school. I Corinthians 14 tell us that we should do everything in an orderly manner. In the Christian school, that is best accomplished when the Board and administration are governed by written policies and procedures.
(I Cor. 14:40 )"But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."
Principle Two: Polices And Procedures Are Another Form Of "The Golden Rule."
Written policies and procedures inform everyone of things they need to know and to follow. When schools have clearly developed policies and adhere to them, it promotes a unity of effort among the staff, administration, and board. Misunderstanding is kept at a minimum and everyone will feel that they are treated fairly.
(Matthew 7:12 )"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..."
Simulations
1. Your school is church-related. Little, if any support is given to the school from the pulpit on Sundays. One of the pastors is very vocal about how parents should send their children to the public schools to be "salt and light."
When budget issues are brought up, that individual and several other church leaders (who have their children in public schools) always mention that there wouldn’t be a problem if there wasn’t a Christian school.
2. You joined the board in May of last year when one person
resigned. Over the summer you were elected as Chairman of the Board. When you asked the Administrator for the budget, he/she replied: "What budget? For the last ten years I ran this school without a budget from the board."
As you prepare for the next school board meeting, you also find out that the school hasn’t paid their bills on time (90-120 days). The staff is concerned if they will be paid. There are 30 less students than last year and the school’s reputation isn’t very positive among your acquaintances.
3. School officers have been elected by the students. Teachers and administrators did not participate in the process. As a board member, you get a telephone call alerting you that the newly elected president goes to Kingdom Hall meetings with his/her parents, though person has professed faith in Christ. Everyone on the board agrees that the school can’t have a cult member for a president. The student’s father has threatened to sue the school. He claims that the Christian school has taken his tuition money for three years. The administrator and faculty want to know what the school board is going to do.
4. Some parents have made it known that they are very unhappy with a certain teacher and will probably not re-enroll their children if that teacher comes back. Your administrator agrees that the teacher’s contract should not be re-newed, but also alerts the board that there is nothing in his/her file indicating that there are any teaching deficiencies. As a board, you haven’t required any written faculty observations. The administrator cautions you that the teacher’s spouse is a lawyer and might sue the school.
5. A teacher calls to inform you that several other teachers, besides herself/himself, are not happy with the principal. You also received a letter from a parent stating that an issue is still not resolved and the principal has done nothing about it. Even your own 7th grade daughter complains about something the principal said. The board is evenly divided over issuing a contract to the principal for next year.
6. You have one school board member who seems to lack
sympathy with the school’s objectives. The person missed two regularly scheduled board meetings, though he/she was not sick. When that person is there, the meetings go on much longer because that one person opposes what the majority favor.
7. The Parent Teacher Fellowship is very active. Several projects have been underwritten financially by the PTF. Now the President of the PTF has called you and wants the school to have more board members.
Your board is self-perpetuating and does not elect board members. The PTF claims that if you want their support, you need to open up the board membership to include parent-elected board members.
8. Rumors are rampant around the school that a faculty member is having an affair with the secretary. The students know something is up. Both parties deny when questioned individually by the principal.
Now the Christian community is beginning to buzz with gossip about what’s going on at the Christian school.
10. The special use permit for your church-related school has expired. This was an oversight on the part of the board and the new administrator was unaware that such a permit needed to be re-newed every five years. Now the county is threatening to close the school.
11. Your school needs to meet 15% of the operating budget through fund raisers. A friend of the school says he will donate a cord of wood and the raffle tickets should raise $1000.000 with little effort.
Half way through this unique fund raiser, you are challenged by a concerned parent. He/she asks: "What does light have to do with darkness?" Raffle tickets are a form of gambling."
12. The budget for the school year has been approved. Tuition and salary scales have been announced. The city improves the site around the schools (curbs, sewers, etc.) and assesses the school $70,000.00
13. Practically all schools depend upon gift income. We ask in prayer for God to supply these needs. Your school has no written policy for solicitation and acceptance of gifts. Should your Christian school accept gifts, or even ask for gifts from non-Christian sources?
Under what guidelines should a conditional gift be accepted?
Bibliography
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This page was last updated on: March 19, 2001