Red Lined Board Policy BBI Board-Staff Relations 1.28.2025 (1)

                                                                                                     Board Policy Manual
                                                                                             DeKalb County School District




 Board Policy BBI: Board-Staff Relations                                                                  Status: DRAFT - 2nd
                                                                                                                     Reading
 Original Adopted Date: 03/21/2012 | Last Revised Date: 11/03/2014 | Last Reviewed Date: 01/28/2025

Red Lined Version

The purpose of this policy is to establish clear guidelines governing relations and communications between staff
members and the Board of Education. Staff members include district employees, contractors, and vendors. Effective
communication between staff and the Board is essential to maintaining a productive and professional educational
environment while ensuring compliance with the chain of command. For most matters, the primary line of
communication between staff and the Board will be through the Superintendent. The DeKalb County Board of
Education wishes to maintain open channels of communication with dDistrict staff, including dDistrict employees
and contractors. , vendors. The primary line of communication, however, will be through the sSuperintendent, and
official business of the dDistrict willshall not be carried on between staff and bBoard members except as directed by
the sSuperintendent.
  A. Staff Communications to the Board
     Unless otherwise specified, staff communications to the Board must be coordinated through the
     Superintendent. This ensures the chain of command is followed and that the Superintendent is informed of
     matters requiring the Board's attention. Official district business will not be conducted between staff and
     Board members except as directed by the Superintendent or as outlined below. District staff have the right to
     appeal administrative decisions to the Board of Education. Instructions for filing a complaint or grievance are
     outlined in policies GAE (2): Complaints and Grievances, Certified Employees, and GAE (3): Complaints and
     Grievances, Non-Certified Employees. District staff are encouraged to report suspected fraud, waste, theft,
     abuse, noncompliance or unethical behavior to the Board of Education. The whistleblower process is outlined
     in policy GAGC: Employee Ethics and its associated regulation. As members of the public, district staff are also
     eligible to participate in Community Input Sessions of the Board. Instructions for speaking at a board
     meeting are outlined in policy BCBI: Public Participation in Board Meetings. All communications or open
     reports to the Board or any of its subcommittees from principals, supervisors, teachers, or other staff members
     will be submitted through the Superintendent. Staff should not contact Board members regarding school or
     District business, and staff interests or concerns should be communicated through the chain of command
     unless otherwise directed by the Superintendent.
  B. Board Communications to Staff
     Unless otherwise specified, Board members must direct questions, concerns, or requests for information to the
     Superintendent rather than communicating directly with staff members. Board members are prohibited from
     giving directions or tasks directly to staff members without the Superintendent's prior approval. This ensures
     that all requests are addressed through proper channels and do not interfere with daily operations. As a
     practical matter, board members are expected to have direct interaction and communication with staff working
     in the Board Office. However, these staff members are supervised by and report to the Superintendent, not
     the Board or Board Chair. In emergency situations, Board members may communicate directly with staff as
     necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of students, staff, or property. The Superintendent must be
     notified of such communication as soon as possible. This procedure does not deny the right of any employee
     to appeal to the bBoard from administrative decisions on important matters, provided that the
     sSuperintendent has been notified of the forthcoming appeal and that it is processed in accordance with the
     bBoard’s policy on complaints and grievances. Staff are encouraged to report concerns to employee relations
     department the appropriate department handling employee grievances and concerns or through the
     whistleblower hotline 1-88-475-0482 at the Audit & Compliance department. If the complaint or concern is
     with Audit & Compliance department, then staff is encouraged to report to the Chief Legal Officer. If ther are
     complaints or concerns about the superintendent, those should be reported directly to the Board Chair who
     will consult with General Counsel.
      Staff members are also reminded that bBoard meetings are public meetings. As such, they provide an excellent
      opportunity to observe firsthand the bBoard’s deliberations on problems of staff concern.
  C. Guidelines for Board Member Visits to Schools Board Communications to Staff
   The Superintendent is responsible for monitoring daily school operations. However, Board members may
   benefit from knowledge and understanding gained during a school visit. Without prior notice, Board members
   may visit schools during open houses and other times specially arranged by the general public. If a Board
   member desires to visit a school outside of these times, these visits must be coordinated through the
   Superintendent. Board members must recognize that their presence at a school could be subject to a variety of
   interpretations by school employees and the public. Therefore, the following guidelines have been developed
   to govern school visits:1. The Board member will not interrupt classes or other activities. 2. The Board member
   will not visit or observe classes without the principal's approval. 3. The Board member will not evaluate
   teachers or other district staff. 4. The Board member will not make commitments on behalf of the Board or the
   Distsrict. All Board member communications, questions, policies or directives of staff interest and concern will
   be communicated to staff members through the Superintendent. Board members should not contact staff to
   discuss school or District business. The Superintendent will develop appropriate methods to keep staff fully
   informed of the Board’s problems, concerns and actions. Board member requests to meet with or require
   information from a staff member shall be at the direction of the Superintendent.
D. Enforcement
   This policy will be enforced in accordance with policy BH: Board Code of Ethics. If a bBoard member brings to
   the sSuperintendent a request or concern regarding bBoard governance or otherwise requiring full bBoard
   consensus, the request or concern will be referred to the bBoard cChair. Any responses by the Superintendent
   should be made through the Chair based on agreed communication channels to ensure that the response is
   shared with the full bBoard.
E. Guidelines for Board Member Visits to Schools
   The ultimate responsibility for a school’s operation lies with the sSuperintendent. There are advantages for
   to obtaining knowledge about a school’s operation by individual bBoard members visiting the school. Board
   members are encouraged to visit schools during open houses and other times specially arranged for the
   general public. In addition, board members are encouraged to visit the schools to speak with, listen to, and
   observe the operations and procedures of the school to gain knowledge for policy-making decisions in the
   areas of finance, personnel, curriculum, facilities and transportation. The following guidelines apply when
   board members visit schools: 1. There should be no interruption of classes or other activities. 2. Class
   visitation or observation should be done only with the approval of the principal. 3. Review of evaluation
   information of any teacher or employee should be done only in executive session of a board meeting. 4. The
   board member should not act or speak independently in making decisions or commitments of a course of
   action of the board. However, some problems can be encountered by Board members visiting schools,
   including the following:
      1. It is impossible to separate the identity of a Board member from that of a private citizen.
      2. Evaluation of staff members and employees is an administrative responsibility, not a Board member’s
         responsibility.

      3. Board members must not make general statements or promises that could be construed to be the
         position of the Board.
      4. Board members should not make statements to teachers and employees which could be construed as a
         procedural directive.
F. Guidelines for Visiting Schools
   Board members are encouraged to visit schools during open houses and other times specially arranged for the
   general public. In addition, Board members are encouraged to visit the schools to speak with, listen to, and
   observe the operations and procedures of the school to gain knowledge for policy-making decisions in the
   areas of finance, personnel, curriculum, facilities and transportation.
   The following guidelines apply when Board members visit schools:

      1. There should be no interruption of classes or other activities.
      2. Class visitation or observation should be done only with the approval of the principal.
     3. Review of evaluation information of any teacher or employee should be done only in executive session
        of a Board meeting.
     4. The Board member should not act or speak independently in making decisions or commitments of a
        course of action of the Board.
  Board members must recognize that their presence in the schools could be subject to a variety of
  interpretations by school employees and the public. Such visits will be regarded as informal expressions of
  interest in school affairs and not as “inspections” or visits for supervisory or administrative purposes.
E. Enforcement
  This policy willshall be enforced in the manner set out in the Board Member Code of Ethics Policy, Descriptor
  Code BH, Paragraph F. Staff members who violate this policy shall be sanctioned as determined by the
  Superintendent.