CONTACT: Pavi’Elle Phillips
305-995-1334
district1@dadeschools.net
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. STEVE GALLON III
June 22, 2021
At the School Board Meeting of June 23, 2021, School Board Vice Chair Dr. Steve Gallon III will proffer School Board Agenda Item H-4 regarding the presentation of Board member items at Committee meetings. At last week’s Committee meeting, the item was co-sponsored by Chairwoman Perla Tabares Hantman, Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall and Ms. Maria Teresa Rojas.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is committed to policies and practices that promote and support deliberate, transparent, and efficient processes for public participation and access to School Board meetings and related information. These processes are consistent and pursuant to the provisions outlined in Chapters 119 and 286 of the Florida Statutes, as well as School Board Policies 0155, 8310, and 9120. They address professional, transparent, and efficient access to public records, as well as laws and policies that support the public’s “right of access to public meetings and records.”
Consistent with Florida’s history of Open Government, the School Board has consistently supported the public’s right of access to School Board meetings, workshops and committee meetings, as well as related school and district-related events. In doing so, along with its legal and statutory obligation, the School Board has a duty to continue to review, define, and revise its practices, policies, and procedures regarding access to public records and participation at meetings.
Presently, School Board Policy 0155, School Board Committees provides a platform and venue for Board members to “formulate, review, analyze, and deliberate policy recommendations prior to consideration by the full Board,” and “consider agenda items or matters being presented by staff to the full Board for consideration,” as well as “other issues within the organizational area which the committee chair believes should be addressed.” These critical actions reflect a vital part of the discourse, debate, and deliberation over issues important to the public and serve as yet another pathway for public engagement and observation of the work of the school district.
This item seeks to uphold the spirit and intent of certain elements of the School Board Committee structure and direct the Superintendent to initiate rulemaking procedures to amend School Board Policy 0155. This will require that all agenda items be presented at the applicable School Board Committee meeting under which the agenda item relates, as currently defined in School Board Policy 0155, while also maintaining the authority of the Chair to realign, restructure and define the subject and jurisdiction of School Board Committees.
“This item will be yet another step in reflecting the Board’s commitment to not only promoting transparency and community participation but also fully complying with the spirit and intent of its own policy. I am grateful for the support and co-sponsorship of my colleagues on this very important item,” said Dr. Gallon.
To read the full item, click here:
http://pdfs.dadeschools.net/Bdarch/2021/bd062321/agenda/h4rev.pdf
