LINCOLN ACADEMY POLICY MANUAL

ENDS

Global Ends Policy

Vision: Our vision is to prepare all students for their future endeavors by providing a comprehensive education based upon the Core Knowledge Sequence®.

Core Values: Respect, Honesty, Integrity, Excellence, Perseverance and Team Work.

Mission: The mission of Lincoln Academy is to help students attain their highest social and academic potential through a rigorous, content-rich educational program in a safe, orderly and caring environment.

Lincoln Academy staff and administration will strive to achieve the following goals for each student:

Proficiency (as measured by Jefferson County School District Standards)

1. By the end of the primary level, students will demonstrate proficiency on the District’s K-3 standards.

2. By the end of the intermediate level, students will demonstrate proficiency on the District’s 4th-6th standards.

3. Students will demonstrate at least one level’s growth per year as measured by the benchmarks based on District Standards.

Academic Skills

Each student will:

1. Develop communication skills in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

2. Develop a grade appropriate knowledge of mathematics and the sciences.

3. Develop an appreciation and knowledge of world and American history and our country’s heritage.

4. Develop an appreciation of his/her physical environment.

5. Develop good study habits.

6. Achieve his/her full learning potential.

7. Hold high expectations for the quality of their own work.

8. Attend school regularly and arrive on time.

Physical Skills

Each student will:

1. Develop coordination skills.

2. Develop an appreciation of sports through observation and participation.

3. Develop safety awareness.

Artistic Skills

Each student will:

1. Develop an awareness of nature.

2. Develop an understanding of art and its materials.

3. Develop a knowledge of a variety of musical expressions.

4. Be provided opportunities for creative expression through drama, musicals and visual arts.

5. Be provided opportunities for and participate in artistic experiences in the community.

Emotional/Social Skills

Each student will:

1. Develop a positive self-image.

2. Develop an appreciation, compassion and respect for others.

3. Experience success in group participation as a leader and follower.

4. Develop self-control and responsibility as a way of life.

5. Develop the ability to meet change, uncertainty and complexity with confidence.

6. Prepare for intelligent, responsible citizenship.

EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS (MEANS)

Global Executive Limitations Policy

The Principal shall not cause or allow any practice, activity, decision or organizational circumstance that is unlawful, imprudent or in violation of commonly accepted ethics or Lincoln Academy policy (or District policy, if no applicable school policy exists).

Treatment of Parents

With respect to interactions with parents, the Principal shall not cause or allow conditions, procedures or decisions that are undignified, disrespectful, unnecessarily intrusive or that fail to provide appropriate confidentiality, privacy or information.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Fail to inform and educate parents and prospective parents about the school policies and procedures.

2. Fail to establish with parents what may be expected and what may not be expected from the programs offered.

3. Fail to implement a means of informing parents of their students’ levels of proficiency, progress and expectations with respect to District Standards.

4. Elicit information for which there is no reasonable need.

5. Use methods of collecting, reviewing, transmitting or storing student/personnel information that fails to protect against confidentiality and improper access to the material elicited.

6. Discriminate against or fail to constructively respond to any parents.

7. Fail to operate within the guidelines of the Grievance Procedure as stated in the Parent/Student Handbook.

Treatment of Students

With respect to interactions with students, the Principal shall not cause or allow conditions, procedures or decisions that are unsafe, disrespectful, undignified, unnecessarily intrusive or that fail to provide appropriate confidentiality, privacy or otherwise detract from a safe and orderly school environment.

Accordingly, the principal shall not:

1. Fail to operate within the guidelines of the Discipline Policy that is based on the District Code of Conduct and the Discipline Policy and Procedures as stated in the Parent/Student Handbook.

2. Allow students to violate the Discipline Policy and Procedures without experiencing an appropriate consequence.

3. Fail to inform and educate students, and prospective students, about the school policies and procedures.

4. Fail to encourage students as they develop academic, physical, artistic and emotional/social skills.

5. Discriminate against or fail to constructively respond to any student.

Treatment of Staff

With respect to the treatment of paid and volunteer staff, the Principal, so long as consistent with at-will employment, may not cause or allow conditions that are illegal or that fail to treat staff with dignity, respect and professionalism or that fail to provide appropriate confidentiality, privacy or information.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Fail to continuously inform and educate staff, and prospective staff, about the policies and procedures and appropriate elements of Lincoln Academy’s Contract with the District.

2. Fail to operate within written personnel policies that clarify personnel rules for staff, provide for effective handling of grievances and protect against wrongful conditions such as nepotism and grossly preferential or biased treatment of personnel concerns.

3. Discriminate against or fail to constructively respond to any staff member.

4. Prevent staff from grieving to the Board in accordance with the School Grievance Procedure.

5. Evaluate staff in ways that are not consistent with the Board’s adopted Ends Policies.

6. Fail to provide the support and encouragement to staff as they work with students in their pursuit of acquiring the academic, physical, artistic and emotional/social skills.

7. Provide an environment where staff receive adequate training and support to help them better develop curriculum, class management skills, and discipline policies.

Implementation of the Education Program

With respect to the education program of the school, the Principal shall not cause or allow deviation from the Board’s Ends Policies.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Deviate from the established curriculum implementing the Core Knowledge Sequence ®, the synthetic, systematic phonics program (Open Court) and the incremental math program (Saxon Math).

2. Allow staff to address the Ends Policies in ways that deviate materially from school policies and procedures.

3. Allow the purchasing or utilization of materials that are not aligned with the Ends Policies and the school policies and procedures.

4. Fail to hold staff accountable for assessing, tracking and regularly reporting to parents, the individual capabilities of students and their progress on the school’s benchmarks in accordance with the Academic Skills Ends Policy.

5. Fail to facilitate teacher conferences with individual students on a consistent basis.

6. Fail to ensure academic skill acquisition and passion for learning.

7. Fail to ensure staffings on appropriate students.

8. Fail to ensure quality work from students and staff.

9. Fail to inform and seek approval from the Board for substantive instructional changes.

Organizational Health and Viability

With respect to the organizational health and viability of the school, the Principal shall not cause or allow conditions that will jeopardize the existence or renewal of the charter with the School District.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Allow excessive student and staff attrition.

2. Fail to implement responsible efforts for staff and student recruitment.

Financial Planning and Budgeting

Financial planning for any fiscal year, or the remaining part of any fiscal year, shall not deviate materially from the Board’s Ends Policies, risk fiscal jeopardy or fail to be derived from a multi-year plan.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not allow:

1. Budgeting that contains too little information to enable credible projection of revenues and expenses, separation of capital and operational items, cash flow and disclosure of planning assumptions.

2. Budgeting that plans the expenditure in any fiscal year of more funds than are conservatively projected to be received in that period or saved from previous years and approved for expenditure by the Board.

3. Budgeting that is in violation of applicable law including the TABOR Amendment and the contract with the School District.

4. Budgeting that is in violation of financing agreements and any other relevant contracts.

5. Budgeting that is not based on reasonable assumptions.

Financial Condition and Activities

With respect to the actual, ongoing financial conditions and activities, the Principal shall not operate outside of the budget or cause or allow the development of fiscal jeopardy or a material deviation of actual expenditures from the Board’s Ends Policies.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Allow purchases that are inconsistent with Ends Policies and school policies and procedures.

2. Expend more than $5000.00 on a non-budgeted item without prior Board approval.

3. Expend more funds than are available and within budget.

4. Indebt the organization in an amount greater than can be repaid by certain otherwise unencumbered revenues within sixty days.

5. Borrow money without prior Board approval.

6. Use any long-term reserves without Board approval.

7. Conduct inter-fund shifting in the expenditure portion of the budget.

8. Fail to settle payroll and debts in a timely manner and according to applicable law.

9. Allow tax payments, or other government ordered payments or filings, to be overdue or inaccurately filed.

10. Acquire, encumber or dispose of real property.

11. Fail to pursue receivables after a reasonable grace period.

Emergency Principal Succession

In order to protect the Board from the sudden loss of principal services, the

Principal shall have no fewer than one other individual familiar with Board and Principal issues and processes and must inform the Board of the identity of his/her potential successor.

Asset Protection

The Principal shall not allow the assets to be unprotected, inadequately maintained or unnecessarily risked.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Fail to ensure against theft and casualty losses to at least 100% of replacement value or otherwise required by applicable contracts and against liability losses and errors and omissions losses to Board members, staff and the organization itself in an amount greater than the average for comparable organizations.

2. Allow unbonded personnel access to material amounts of funds.

3. Subject building and equipment to improper wear and tear or insufficient maintenance.

4. Unnecessarily expose the organization, its Board or staff to claims of liability.

5. Fail to implement a system that ensures all purchases are consistent with the Ends Policies and school policies and procedures and are monitored in a coordinated and prudent manner.

6. Fail to protect intellectual property, information and files from loss or significant damage.

7. Receive, process or disburse funds under controls that are insufficient to meet the Board appointed auditor’s standards.

8. Invest or hold operating capital in insecure instruments, including uninsured checking accounts and bonds of less than AAA rating, or in non-interest bearing accounts except where necessary to facilitate ease in operational transactions or as otherwise required by applicable contracts.

9. Endanger the school’s public image or credibility, particularly in ways that would hinder the accomplishment of the Ends Policies.

Compensation and Benefits

With respect to employment, compensation and benefits to employees, consultants, contract workers and volunteers, the Principal shall not cause or allow conditions that are illegal or that jeopardize fiscal integrity or public image.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Change his/her own compensation and/or benefits.

2. Promise or imply permanent or guaranteed employment or otherwise alter the at-will employment relationship with staff.

3. Fail to operate within the Board approved compensation and benefits plans.

4. Pay employees or provide benefits that are contrary to State and/or Federal law.

Communication and Support to the Board

The Principal shall not permit the Board to be uninformed or unsupported in its work.

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Neglect to submit monitoring data required by the Board (see policy Monitoring Principal Performance) in a timely, accurate and understandable fashion, directly addressing provisions of Board policies being monitored.

2. Let the Board be unaware of relevant trends, potential lawsuits, anticipated adverse media coverage, material external and internal changes, particularly changes and/or anticipated changes in staff and in the assumption/values upon which any Board policy has previously been established.

3. Fail to advise the Board if, in the Principal’s opinion, the Board is not in compliance with its own policies on Governance Process and Board/Principal Linkage, particularly in case of Board behavior that is detrimental to the work relationship between the Board and the Principal.

4. Fail to marshal for the Board as many staff and external points of view, issues and options as needed for fully informed Board choices.

5. Present information in unnecessarily complex or lengthy form or in a form that fails to differentiate among information of three types: monitoring, decision preparation and other significant information.

6. Fail to provide a mechanism for official Board, officer or committee communications.

7. Fail to deal with the Board as a whole except when fulfilling individual requests for information or responding to officers or committees duly charged by the Board.

8. Fail to report in a timely manner an actual or anticipated non-compliance with any policy of the Board.

9. Present any issue to the District Board of Education or other outside agencies without receiving prior approval from the Board.

10. Fail to maintain a positive, professional and constructive working relationship with the Board.

Ends Focus of Grants or Contracts

The Principal may not enter into any grant or contract arrangements that fail to facilitate the accomplishment of Board stated Ends and avoidance of Board prescribed Means (Executive Limitations).

Accordingly, the Principal shall not:

1. Allow grant funds to be used contrary to the grant’s terms and monetary limitation or in imprudent, unlawful or unethical ways.

2. Fail to assess and consider an applicant’s capability to produce appropriately targeted, efficient results.

BOARD/PRINCIPAL LINKAGE

Global Board/Principal Linkage Policy

The Board’s sole official connection to the operating organization, its achievement and conduct will be through the Principal.

Unity of Control

Only decisions of the Board acting as a body are binding on the Principal.

Accordingly,

1. Decisions or instructions of individual Board members, officers or committees are not binding on the Principal except in rare instances when the Board has specifically authorized such exercise of authority.

2. In the case of Board members or committees requesting information or assistance without Board authorization, the Principal can refuse such requests that require, in the Principal’s opinion, a material amount of staff time or funds or are disruptive.

Accountability of the Principal

The Principal is the Board’s only link to operational achievement and conduct, so that all authority and accountability of staff, as far as the Board is concerned, is considered the authority and accountability of the Principal.

Accordingly,

1. The Board will never give instructions to persons who report directly or indirectly to the Principal.

2. The Board will refrain from directly evaluating staff other than the Principal. The Principal, in conjunction with the Teacher Review Committee, will be responsible for staff evaluation.

3. The Board will view the Principal’s performance as identical to organizational performance, so that organizational accomplishment of Board stated Ends and avoidance of Board prescribed means (Executive Limitations) will be viewed as successful Principal performance (“Principal Evaluation”).

4. Annually, the Board and the Principal will agree on goals with respect to the Ends and Executive Limitations (Means) policies. Accomplishments of the goals will also be viewed as successful Principal performance (school improvement plans, etc.).

Delegation to the Principal

The Board will instruct the Principal through written policies that prescribe the organizational Ends to be achieved and describe organizational situations and actions to be avoided (Executive Limitations).

Accordingly,

1. The Board will operate within the policies instructing the Principal to achieve certain results for our families. These policies are stated from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels and are called Ends Policies.

2. The Board will operate within policies that limit the latitude the Principal may exercise in choosing the organizational means. These policies are stated from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and they are called Executive Limitations Policies.

3. The Principal is authorized to establish further policies, make decisions, take actions, establish practices and develop activities which adhere to and support the Board’s Ends and Executive Limitations Policies.

4. The Board may change its Ends and Executive Limitations policies at any time; however, changes will not be retroactive.

Monitoring the Principal’s Performance

Systematic and rigorous monitoring of the Principal’s job performance will be solely based on the accomplishment of Board stated Ends and avoidance of Board prescribed means.

Accordingly,

1. Monitoring is simply to determine the degree to which Board policies are being met. Data that do not deal with Board policies will not be considered to be monitoring data.

2. The Board will acquire monitoring data by one or more of the three methods: a) by internal report, in which the Principal discloses compliance information to the Board, b) by external report, in which an external, disinterested third party selected by the Board assesses compliance with Board policies and c) by direct Board inspection, in which a designated member or members of the Board assess compliance with the appropriate policy criteria.

3. In every case, the standard for compliance shall be a mutually agreeable interpretation of the Board policy or Principal goal being monitored.

4. All policies that instruct the Principal will be monitored at a frequency and by a method chosen by the Board. The Board can monitor any policy at any time by any method. The formal evaluation will depend on the following routine schedule.

Policy Method Frequency

ENDS

Academic Skills Internal Annually

(CSAP)

Physical, Artistic & Emotional/Social Skills Internal Annually

(May)

(State of the School – annual report from the school administrator)

Parent Survey Internal Annually

(May)

EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS (MEANS)

Treatment of Parents& Students Internal Annually

(Annual Parent Survey, BOD New Family Phone Calls)

Treatment of Staff Internal Bi-Annually

(Staff Surveys)

Implementation of the Core Knowledge Internal Annually (June)

Sequence

Organizational Health and Viability Internal

(Principal’s Report) Monthly

(Staff Attrition and Recruitment) Annually (May)

Financial Planning and Budgeting Internal Bi-Annually

Financial Condition and Activities Internal Quarterly

(Budget Committee)

Emergency Principal Succession Internal Annually (August)

Asset Protection (Insurance) Internal Annually (March)

Compensation and Benefits Internal Annually (May)

Communication and Support to the Board Internal Monthly

(Principal’s Report)

Ends Focus of Grants or Contracts Internal Quarterly

BOARD PROCESS

Global Governance Process Policy

The purpose of the Board is to ensure compliance with the School Charter, Mission Statement and other governing documents.

Governing Style

The Board will govern with an emphasis on 1) outward vision rather than internal preoccupation, 2) encouragement of diversity in viewpoints, 3) strategic leadership more than administrative detail, 4) clear distinction of Board and Principal roles, 5) collective rather than individual decisions, 6) future rather than past or present, and 7) pro-activity rather than reactivity.

1. The Board will cultivate a sense of group responsibility. The Board, not the staff, will be responsible for excellence in governing. The Board will be the initiator of policy, not merely a reactor to staff initiatives. The Board will use expertise of individual members to enhance the ability of the Board as a body rather than to substitute individual judgments for the Board’s values. The Board will allow no officer, individual or committee of the Board to hinder or be an excuse for not fulfilling Board commitments.

2. The Board will establish and monitor carefully written Board policies reflecting the Board’s values and perspectives about Ends to be achieved and Means to be avoided. The Board’s major policy focus will be on the intended long-term results, and the relationship between results and the programmatic means.

3. The Board will enforce upon itself whatever discipline is needed to govern with excellence. Discipline will apply to matters such as attendance, preparation, respect of roles, and ensuring continuance of governance capability. Continual Board development will include orientation of new Board members in the Board’s Governance Process and periodic Board discussion of process improvement.

4. The Board will monitor and discuss the Board’s process and performance annually. Self-monitoring will include comparison of Board activity and discipline to policies in the Governance Process and Board-Principal Linkage categories.

Board Job Description

The Board is committed to the accomplishment of Board-stated Ends (Goals) and avoidance of Board-prescribed Means (Executive Limitations).

1. The Board will operate consistently with respect to the School Charter and other applicable contract and law.

2. The Board will adopt a Grievance Policy which will ensure timely and appropriate response to matters presented to the Board.

3. The Board will adopt, monitor, and evaluate a strategic plan which is focused on Ends, future oriented and consistent with the philosophy, mission vision and values of the school.

4. The Board will establish, monitor and evaluate written Board policies:

   • Monitor and evaluate the Principal (Board/Principal Linkage)
   • Financial Planning and Budgeting (Executive Limitations/Means)
   • Staff issues – hiring, firing, compensation, grievances (Executive Limitations and Governance Process)
   • Legal compliance (Executive Limitations/Means)
   • School community issues – communication, advocacy, grievances (Executive Limitations/Means and Governance Process)
   • Board’s role (Governance Process)
5. The Board will evaluate school success, Board process and compliance with the Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct

The Board commits itself and its members to ethical, business-like and lawful conduct, including proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when acting as Board members.

1. I will serve the children, staff and parents of the school in accordance with the Charter, Contract, Bylaws, Policy Governance and any other governing documents approved by the Board.

2. I will listen, speak my mind and share all relevant information with the Board.

3. I will respect the opinions of others.

4. I will make decisions based on what is best for the children and school as a whole.

5. I will be aware of the implications of my role and how it affects my relationships with other school community members.

6. I will vote for an Executive Session of the Board if the situation requires it, but I will consider secret sessions of Board members unethical.

7. I will not use the school or any part of the school program for my own economic advantage or for the advantage of my friends.

8. I will excuse myself without comment from the deliberation and vote of an issue in which I have an unavoidable conflict of interest.

9. I will not attempt to exercise my Board authority over the school or speak for the Board except to repeat explicitly stated Board decisions.

10. I will make no disparaging remarks, in or out of Board meetings, about other members of the Board or members of the school community.

11. I will express my honest and most thoughtful opinions frankly, in Board meetings, in an effort to have all decisions made for the best interest of the children and the school.

12. I will encourage all members of the Board to participate fully in Board action.

13. I will abide by and support majority decisions of the Board.

14. I will not discuss the confidential business of the Board outside of Board meetings.

15. I will not conduct Board business outside of Board meetings.

16. I will not individually judge the Principals’ or staff performance.

17. I will carefully read all information and ask critical questions so that I am fully informed about issues facing the Board.

18. I will not make decisions without a careful examination of all sides of issues.

Board Elections

Read Section 2.5 of the Policy Manual

Board Meeting Procedures

Board meetings will be conducted in a predictable manner that will be communicated to the school community.

1. The Board President will set the agenda for the meeting. The agenda will include items from the previous meeting, monitoring data, information and business items.

2. Board members will receive packets of information items, monitoring reports and the agenda at least one week before the next board meeting.

3. The agenda will be posted 48 hours before the meeting in the Administration Office in accordance with open meeting laws.

4. The agenda will identify items that are informational only.

5. All Board meetings are open to the public except that, upon a vote of a majority of the members present, an Executive Session may be held in accordance with open meeting laws.

6. Any member of the school community will be given the opportunity to address the Board during the Public Comment item on the agenda. Persons wishing to address the Board on agenda items may do so at this time or when those items are being considered. There will be a time limit of 5 minutes per person for public comment. When there is a large number of speakers to be heard, the Board may shorten this time.

7. The Board will follow the decision making process outlined below for considering proposals for policy change in any governing documents:

Step 1 NOTIFICATION

A written proposal is submitted to the Board of Directors outlining the proposed policy and anticipated implications.

Step 2 FACT-FINDING

The proposal will be shared with parties who will be affected by the proposed policy change. Their input will be gathered in a report. A questionnaire might be distributed to seek feedback from a larger population. The results of any questionnaires will be gathered in a report.

Step 3 DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The proposal will be presented to the Board followed by the results of the fact-finding process. The Board will be able to ask questions about the proposal and its implications for the school. All proposals presented to the Board will address how the proposed change fits within the relevant document and the school’s mission. The Board will specify a period of time in which those in attendance may make public comments to the Board about the proposed policy. The Board will discuss the proposed policy and its implications for the school.

Step 4 ACTION AGENDA ITEM – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Public comment about the proposed policy will occur according to the Board’s Procedures Policy. A Board member will make a motion concerning a decision about the proposed policy change. Discussion might occur. If the motion is seconded, the Board members will vote on the motion made.

President’s Role

The President assures the integrity and fulfillment of the Board’s process and occasionally represents the Board to outside parties.

1. The President is charged with assuring that the Board behaves consistently within its own rules and those legitimately imposed upon it from outside the organization.

1. Discussion content during meetings will only pertain to issues that, according to Board Policy, clearly belong to the Board to decide, not the Principal.
2. Deliberation will be fair, open and thorough but also timely, orderly and to the point.

2. The President is authorized to use any reasonable interpretation of the provisions within the Board’s Governance Process and Board-Principal Linkage policies.
3. The President is empowered to chair Board meetings with all the commonly accepted power of that position (for example, ruling and recognizing).
4. The President has no authority to make decisions about policies created by the Board within the Ends and Executive Limitations (Means) policy areas. Therefore, the President has no authority to supervise or direct the Principal.
5. The President may represent the Board to outside parties in announcing Board-stated positions and in stating decisions and interpretations that are delegated to him.
6. The President may delegate authority but remains accountable for its use.

Board Committee Principles

Board committees, when used, will be assigned so as to reinforce the wholeness of the Board’s job and so as never to interfere with delegation from the Board to the Principal.

1. Board committees are to help the Board do its job. Committees ordinarily will assist the Board by preparing policy alternatives and implications for Board deliberation. In keeping with the Board’s broader focus, Board committees will normally not have dealings with current staff operations.

2. Board committees may not speak or act for the Board except when formally given such authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Expectations and authority will be carefully written in order not to conflict with authority delegated to the Principal.

3. Board committees cannot exercise authority over staff. Because the Principal works for the Board, the Principal will not be required to obtain approval from a committee of the Board before an Executive action.

4. Board committees are to avoid over-identification with organizational parts rather than the whole. Therefore, a Board committee that has helped the Board create policy on some topic will not be used to monitor organizational performance on that same topic.

5. Committees will be used where appropriate.

6. This policy applies to any group that is formed by Board action, whether or not it is called a committee and regardless of whether the group includes Board members. It does not apply to committees formed under the authority of the Principal.

Board Committee Structure

The structure of the committees will facilitate their effectiveness.

1. Each Board committee will explicitly state its goal(s).

2. Each Board committee will explicitly state its actions.

3. Each Board committee will make regular reports to the Board.