Superintendent Community Advisory Council (SCAC) – Phase 3

The 2022 – 2023 Council will advise BSD on successful and effective community engagement.  One of the most important elements of a school district’s relationship with its community is how it engages its stakeholders. This year’s Council will focus on how BSD can fully leverage its enormous community resources – public, private, non-profit, and governmental – on behalf of the student experience.

Purpose

The Bellevue School District Superintendent Community Advisory Council (SCAC) was formed in September 2020 to engage a diverse set of voices in key district decisions. The Advisory Committee provides input and makes recommendations to the Superintendent on issues determined by the Superintendent.

Why is this Important?

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19, coupled with the racial justice movement in the U.S., affords school districts a unique opportunity to think differently and design better solutions for all students. Bellevue School District has sought the engagement of a broad cross-section of stakeholders to bring new ideas to the fore; to embrace the innovation, creativity, and passion for public education that exists in our community; and to include community members as thought partners.

This effort builds on the feedback loops and continuous improvement efforts the district has in place. The Advisory Committee is considered an important vehicle to:

• Promote engagement of community stakeholders.
• Strengthen feedback loops with families and students.
• Expand access to parents and other community members through the networks of participants.
• Test and socialize new ideas and approaches.

Members

The Council is typically led by two co-chairs who are not BSD employees and is comprised of 20 – 24 members. Members represent a cross-section of district stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, administrators, local business and non-profit leaders, and other district partners.

Term

Members serve a one-year term with monthly meetings held October through April.

Expectations for Members

Advisory Committee members are expected to:

• Support the purpose of the project.
• Hold equity and the district’s values at the center of the work: service, integrity, compassion, excellence, respect, and collaboration.
• Bring a district-wide perspective; resist the urge to advocate for a single issue or student group.
• Assume that together we know more; work to understand and value the assumptions, opinions, and ideas of others.
• Be open to unconventional approaches; new conditions demand new solutions.
• Engage in learning, dialogue, listening, and offering feedback.
• Bring your own lived experience and perspectives to the process.
• Attend all meetings; come prepared and ready to contribute.
• Share airtime: everyone participates, no one person dominates.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Advisory Committee is:

• Charged with providing input and recommendations to the Superintendent.
• Encouraged to communicate and share its work and thinking with personal networks.
• Invited to identify members who can pro-actively liaise with other district advisory groups to foster communication and collaboration.
• Asked to commit time to reading and preparation in between meetings.

The Advisory Committee is not charged with implementing recommendations.

The chair or co-chairs will provide periodic updates to the Board of Directors as directed by the Superintendent. The Superintendent will consider the Committee’s input and recommendations.

Additional Layers of Stakeholder Engagement

The work of the committee is informed by additional layers of one-on-one interviews and focus groups with other district stakeholders and constituents. Findings from these intake sessions are shared with the committee during the course of regularly scheduled meetings.

Documents

Members will be asked to review articles, documents, and other relevant materials in preparation for meetings.  Meeting materials will be shared at least 48 hours in advance of each meeting.  The Committee is charged with producing one or more written reports and is supported by professional staff in doing so.

Meeting Schedule