WHO MAKES UP THE TEAM?

Wise educational leaders have long used faculty advisory committees to provide feedback and

assist in developing new programs. The advent of effective schools research has led to the

formation of school improvement teams with increased responsibilities and a membership

expanded to include parents and community members. A significant outgrowth of expanded

responsibility at the building level is the formation of school site councils that seek to empower

these team members by increasing their involvement in decision-making activities involving

such critical areas as budgeting, staffing, and curriculum development—areas long thought to

be the exclusive province of professional educators.

There are numerous ways to structure your team. It should be large enough to provide

appropriate representation of all groups, yet not so large as to hamper communication and the

cultivation of collegiality among its members.