Visual Map of Sociocracy Circles
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Text Version
Note: Other sub-circles of the Membership that are presently partially-formed but which need more official status are not included. E.g. COVID Workgroup; Mutual Aid; Facilities (“Cleaning Party”). Departmental sub-circles (E.g. “Advisors” as a sub-circle of “Learning & Teaching”) may also not be included in this overview.
Membership
Aim:
Govern our School as a participatory democracy
Domain:
- Create, modify, and/or delete all operational procedures and administrative regulations
- Final decision regarding continued or non-continuation of employment for all staff
- Elect a Governance Board
- “Call out” the Board’s decision-making when necessary
- Evaluate teaching staff
- Adjust the yearly calendar when needed
- Plan and approve special events
Members:
- All enrolled students
- All guardians, parents, and direct care-givers of enrolled students
- All staff
- Community Stakeholders who apply for membership
Governance Board
Aim:
- Raise the profile of the School
- Raise funds for the School
- Provide oversight for all other governing bodies of the School
Domain:
- All School Policies – adopt, revise, delete
- Review all decisions made by Membership, Design Team, School Meeting, and EC for compliance with law, contracts, and values
- Legal and fiduciary responsibility for the School
Members:
Elected by School membership, to include at least 3 students, 2 staff, and 2 community stakeholders
School Meeting
Aim:
- Make all day-to-day governance decisions not directly in conflict with the School Plan
- Make recommendations and provide input to the Design Team, EC, and Board
Domain:
Create, modify, and/or delete all operational procedures and administrative regulations
Members:
- All enrolled students
- All staff
Design Team
Aim:
Formally study, evaluate, and revise the School Plan to ensure the School is meeting its purpose, worldview, and values
Domain:
Edit, modify, and re-write the School Plan
Members:
- Between 13 and 17 members, made up of:
- Between 9 and 15 students
- Up to 3 staff
- 1 guardian / parent / caregiver
Selected at random from a list of volunteers
EC Leadership
Aim:
Deliver the experience described in the School Plan, by:
- Holding the Learning, Operations, and Culture circles accountable and supporting their functioning
- Ensuring the flow of information between EC circles
- Deciding who decides: assigning new issues to the EC circles, and/or exploring and making decisions that concern the aims/domains of more than one EC circle
- Responding to questions and concerns from the School community, accountability partners, and community stakeholders that concern the aims of more than one EC circle (or when a question/concern is not satisfactorily addressed by an EC circle)
Domain:
Create, modify, and/or delete all Operational Procedures and Administrative Regulations that concern the aims/domains of more than one EC circle
Members:
- Director of Learning & Teaching
- Delegate from Learning & Teaching Circle
- Director of Operations
- Delegate from Operations & Governance Circle
- Director of School Culture & Climate
- Delegate from Culture & Climate Circle
Learning and Teaching
Aim:
Use relevant, real-life experiences & problems for, differentiated, one-student-at-a-time, hands-on learning
Domain:
- All operational procedures and administrative regulations derived from the following sections of the School Plan:
- Learning Program: Experiences – Goals – Assessments
Members:
- Director of Learning and Teaching
- Community Learning Coordinator
- Reading and Dyslexia Instruction Expert
- Leader of Advisors Circle
- Delegate from Advisors Circle
- Delegate from Special Education Circle
Operations and Governance
Aim:
Govern and manage the school in a way that includes students, teachers, and staff, to meet all operational obligations with outside entities
Domain:
All operational procedures and administrative regulations derived from the following sections of the School Plan:
Governance – Facilities – Food – Staffing Pattern – Calendar & Schedules – Budget
Members:
- Director of Operations
- School Finance Manager
- Health, Wellness, & Safety Coordinator
- Facilities Manager
- Food Services Manager
- IT Coordinator
Culture and Climate
Aim:
Be accessible & welcoming to all, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, gender expression, culture, identity, age, neurodiversity, social-emotional-mental wellbeing, or dis/ability, while building agency & power for equity, inclusion, and justice
Domain:
All operational procedures and administrative regulations derived from the following sections of the School Plan:
Worldview & Values – Services, Care, Climate, & Culture – Justice
Members:
- Director of Culture & Climate
- Justice Coordinator
Special Education
Aim:
Provide services to meet the needs of all students with disabilities while ensuring compliance with law, contracts, and policy.
Domain:
All Operational Procedures and Administrative Regulations pertaining to Special Education
Members:
- Director of Special Education
- Special Education Coordinator
- Special Education Instructors
Advisors
Aim:
Deliver Advisory as described in the School Plan.
Domain:
Advisory curriculum and all Operational Procedures related to Advisory
Members:
- All Advisors