CAC Charter

Mission: The CAC mission is to facilitate communication, advise and partner with the R-7 Board of Education, Superintendent and community to ensure a successful and innovative school system that maximizes each student's potential.

Outcomes: 

• Review, discuss and analyze topics as requested by the Board of Education.
• Provide recommendations to the Board of Education on facilities, technology or other requested topics.
• Report CAC business to the community through variety of avenues, including CAC website and one-on-one communication with stakeholders.
• Provide avenue for CAC members to bring topics to the entire CAC for review.
• Maintain active involvement of community stakeholders by bringing community perspective into processes through surveys and other feedback methods.
• Maintain active and diverse membership.
• Meet at least twice annually.

Boundaries: The CAC takes direction from the Board of Education and makes recommendations to the Board of Education.

Resources: CAC budget is through the R-7 Communications Department.

Membership: To include broad-based, diverse membership of Board of Education, staff, parents and non-parents, including representatives of key stakeholder groups such as PTA, Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, Economic Development Council, Chamber of Commerce, Lee’s Summit Ministerial Alliance, higher education, health care and small business. Lee's Summit R-7 staff members serving on the group include (but are not limited to) the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent for Operations, Communications Executive Director, elementary principal representative, secondary principal representative and representatives from R-7 teacher organizations. New members should join the CAC at the beginning of CAC study cycles, although exceptions may be made at discretion of the Steering Committee. Representative sample of CAC will serve as Steering Committee for group and shall be limited to more than 12 members.

Meeting framework: CAC will meet at least twice annually with meetings no longer than two hours each. The CAC Steering Committee will work with R-7 administration to determine frequency of meetings dictated by the necessity of the CAC to accomplish its mission. Study groups may be formed as necessary to accomplish the work of the CAC in a timely manner. CAC meetings are open to the public.

Decision-making Process: After an appropriate amount of discussion, decisions will be achieved by consensus of the CAC members. If a vote of members is required, it will be decided by a simple majority of members attending the meeting.

Channels of Communication: Members are responsible for sharing information from meetings with the groups they represent and with other district parents and patrons, making regular attendance at meetings imperative. The R-7 Communications Executive Director will provide publicity on CAC activities to the local media and within R-7 community and staff communication avenues. The local media is also invited to attend CAC meetings. Information about the CAC organization and meetings will be posted on the CAC website.

Agenda Development: Agendas will be developed collaboratively by the CAC Steering Committee.

Facilitation of Meetings: Meetings will be facilitated by the Chair, Co-Chair(s) or Assistant Chair.

Maintaining records: Minutes will be taken by the Communications Executive Director, distributed to CAC members and Board of Education members electronically, included on the CAC web page and kept at the Stansberry Leadership Center.

Review of charter: The CAC charter will be reviewed at the discretion of the membership. Changes to the charter will be made by consensus.

Evaluation: CAC membership will determine evaluation methods for the group.

Norms:

• Agenda: The agenda should be established at least one week in advance, so members of the CAC can receive a copy of the agenda prior to the meeting. Agenda and supporting materials will be developed by CAC Steering Committee.
• Non-agenda items: There should be a space in the published agenda that non-agenda items can be introduced, but not discussed in detail. If a majority of the CAC decides to accept the non-agenda item for business, it will become part of the agenda.
• Attendance: Attendance at the scheduled CAC meetings is expected. Members of the CAC Steering Committee will annually contact individual CAC members to confirm their active participation for each school year.  Members are asked to contact the R-7 Communications Department if they are unable to attend a meeting.
• Punctuality: Meetings should start and end at the published time and stay on the published agenda. Members, if at all possible, should be in attendance early enough to be properly prepared for the start of the meeting.
• Leaving early: It is understandable that some members may need to leave a meeting early. The Chair(s) of the meeting should be informed prior to the meeting if members need to leave a meeting early. If there is an item on the agenda to be discussed after a member needs to leave, the member should have his or her ideas written down and give them to the Chair(s) prior to the start of the meeting.
• Being called out of meetings: If a member is called out of a meeting, please be considerate of other members, and be as unobtrusive as possible.
• Participation: Participation of all members is greatly encouraged. It should be a priority of the Chair(s) or the meeting moderator that all members have an opportunity to discuss an issue, and not have the discussion monopolized by one person or group. All members are equal. Each member should ask questions if they do not understand. All members should assume a positive attitude; no fault should be given or taken. Members should be open to new and different ideas to help visualize and understand "the big picture."
• Confidentiality: Some agenda items may require confidentiality. This will be reviewed and stated at the conclusion of the meeting by the Chair(s). Members will know what and when to communicate. The reason for the confidentiality should be discussed by the group and if agreed by the members, the item will not be discussed outside of the meeting. All votes should become the decision of the group and not discussed outside the meeting. R-7 Communications Executive Director will develop brief talking points following each meeting to be included with minutes so members will know what and when to communicate. PLEASE NOTE that CAC meetings are open meetings by law and that members of the general community and the press may be in attendance.
• Disagreements: In trying to achieve the CAC’s mission, proper discussion of issues is encouraged, but personal disagreements should not become part of the discussion. If necessary, the Chair(s) will stop any personal disagreements.
• Anger/Defensiveness: Personal anger or defensiveness will be discouraged and proper meeting decorum will be maintained. If a member's action is disruptive to the process and cannot be resolved, the member will be asked to leave the meeting or end such discussion.
• Interrupting the speaker/side conversations: Not allowed; be courteous and aware of the discussions to expedite the agenda. Members will speak respectively to each other. Members will not talk down to other members. Members will listen without interrupting and will not have side conversations while another member is speaking.
• Orientation: New members will receive the charter and minutes from three previous meetings when they join the team. At beginning of each CAC cycle, members will receive and review the charter and norms.