Academic Engagement Committee

formerly known as the School Accountability Committee (SAC)

Academic Engagement Committee Documents

Chair: Michelle Jaramillo, michelle451982@gmail.com

Staff Representative: Nate Mylin, Director of Education; Lauren Artino, Director of Student Services

Members: Ashley Pfalz, School Liaison/Vice President of Board; Michael Katzenberg, Parent/Staff

General Purpose: To inform, encourage and provide opportunities for parent and community members to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the school’s instructional program and quality improvement processes, and provide required community and Board level oversight and accountability for the academic program. The committee is commissioned by and responsible to the Board  to assume the primary responsibility for working with the Executive Leadership Team to define academic excellence, ensure that all Board members know the charter promises that were made to the community and the authorizer and to devise clear and consistent measures to monitor these goals. (This committee description is based in part on the requirements of Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 22-11-401 and 402.)

Appointments and Composition of Committee:

  1. Per C.R.S. the FEC should consist of at least the following members: Principal or Principal Designee, 1 Teacher, 3 parents, 1 Board member or designee, and 1 Community Member.

  2. Appointments of the Chair and members of the SAC shall be made annually by the President of the Board with the advice and consent of the Board and the Executive Leadership Team and in accordance with the Bylaws and C.R.S.

  3. 1-2 Board Member(s) may also serve on the committee to act as a liaison for Board level academic oversight and training.

  4. The Chair of this committee shall be a parent per C.R.S.  In the event that the parent Chair leaves the committee it shall be the Board’s responsibility to appoint another parent Chair as soon as possible.

The number of parents on the FEC must exceed the number of representatives from the group with the next highest representation. A person may not be selected to fill more than one of the member positions required per C.R.S.

Responsibilities

It is important to note that this is a governance function, not a management function, and it is anticipated that the Executive Leadership Team will have a great deal of input into the work and composition of this committee. The committee’s main role is to assure that academic excellence is defined, and that the Board approves annual goals to attain academic excellence.

  1. Define and continue to refine what academic excellence means for Mountain Song Community School.

  2. Publicize and hold a public SAC meeting to discuss strategies to include in the Unified Improvement Plan.

  3. Work with the Executive Leadership Team and incorporate public input to set annual academic achievement goals to be presented to and approved by the full Board.  Submit recommendations to the Board and Executive Leadership team concerning preparation of the school Unified Improvement Plan prior to the plan being written.

  4. Publicize a public hearing to review a written school Unified Improvement Plan.

  5. Meet at least quarterly, report to the Board at regular meetings of the Board in a manner determined by the Board, and post dates and times of meetings on the MSCS website

  6. Analyze academic data collected by staff as requested by the Board. Process and report it to the Board along with recommendations for improvement.

  7. Send out survey, with prior Board approval, at least annually to parents and caregivers to assess school climate and perception of academic program. Report data to the Board and make recommendations based on this data.

  8. Work with the Executive Leadership Team to devise clear and consistent ways to measure progress towards stated goals. Discuss whether Executive Leadership Team, personnel and infrastructure are advancing or impeding implementation of the school’s Unified Improvement Plan or other progress pertinent to the school’s accreditation contract with the Charter School Institute.

  9. To increase the level of parent engagement in the school, especially the engagement of parents of students in populations that are significantly represented within the school the committee’s activities must include, but need not be limited to:

    1. Publicize opportunities to serve and soliciting parents to serve on the SAC. The SAC shall direct the outreach efforts to help ensure that the parents who serve on the school accountability committee reflect the student populations that are significantly represented within the school

    2. Assisting school personnel in implementing the parent engagement policy to increase families’ engagement with teachers, including but not limited to parents’ engagement in creating students’ READ plans, in creating individual academic plans, and in creating plans to address habitual truancy.

  10. Be familiar with all sections of the C.R.S. that pertain to school accountability committees.

Family Engagement Committee

All of our meetings will be held from 6-7:30 on the second Monday of the month, subject to change if any conflict or complications occur. If you are interested in serving, please send your letter of interest to info@mountainsongschool.org.

Zoom Link

Meeting Agendas