Miraloma School Site Council
The School Site Council is a group of teachers, parents, and staff that works with the principal to develop, review, and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets. Tasks include:
Reviewing and analyzing student achievement data
Gathering community input
Helping develop the Balanced Scorecard/Single Plan for Student Achievement (BSC/SPSA) and the school site budget
Monitoring the implementation of the plan and budget.
Read more about the SSC on the SFUSD website.
All Miraloma families are welcome to attend the monthly SSC meetings each month, which typically occur on Mondays at 5:30pm in the library.
SSC FAQ
WHAT IS THE SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL?
The School Site Council (SSC) is an elected group of equal number of parents, teachers and/or staff. The basic idea behind the SSC is to involve individuals, who are most affected by our school’s operations, in the decision-making process. The role of the SSC is to advise the principal on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the school’s overall improvement plan and school budget. The SSC assures that specific state funds are allocated to the school’s improvement programs to support the school’s overall goals. Throughout the year, the SSC monitors the progression its goals by reviewing school test scores, attendance and discipline records, parent surveys and input from teachers and students.
WHY DO WE HAVE A SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL?
In the 1970’s, the State of California passed a law that set up the School Improvement Program (SIP), which enabled schools to receive supplemental funding from the state. The law required that schools establish School Site Councils (SSC) in order to receive and spend the extra funding provided by SIP.
WHAT'S IN THE SCHOOL BASED COORDINATED PLAN (SBCP)?
According to law, the SSC is required to design, implement, and monitor a School Based Coordinated Plan (SBCP) to ensure that SIP funds are being spent effectively to support school's improvement efforts to attain the highest possible levels of teaching and learning at the school. In SFUSD, the Balanced Score Card (BSC) is the equivalent to the SBCP.
WHERE CAN I GET A COPY OF THE BSC PLAN?
A copy of the balance score card is available here. (Additional historical SSC files can be found on the Miraloma Community Yahoo Group.)
HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THE SSC HAVE TO SPEND?
SIP funds come from the state on a per student basis. The amount varies from year to year with CBEDS (California Basic Educational Data System) enrollment. The legislature and governor can add to or cut some of the funding in any given year. In some years, the dollar amount is adjusted for the cost of living and other years no adjustment is made.
DOESN’T THE STATE ALWAYS PUT SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS ON FUNDING GIVEN TO SCHOOLS?
Doesn’t the state always put specific restrictions on funding given to schools?
Yes, but in the 90’s, the state passed the School Based Coordinated Program (SBCP), which gave the schools more power to spend their funding freely and more effectively. The SBCP allows schools to coordinate some categorical funds (SIP, GATE, and some special education) paid by different State funding sources to serve all students, as long as the school is meeting the needs of all special populations. The SSC is the body that determines whether or not, and how to redirect these funds. For example, one council might use funds to develop a new math program, while another might decide to hire a reading specialist. Another council might decide that hiring and additional teacher to reduce class sizes in a particular grade or a parent liaison to get more parents involved would be the best use of its money. Because school budgets are limited and many funds can only be spent in certain ways, there are always tough decisions to make.
WHEN AND WHERE DOES THE SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEET?
The SSC meets the 1st Monday of every month during the school year. The meetings are held in the school’s library from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. If the meeting falls on a holiday, the SSC usually meets the following Monday (see our school calendar). The weekly newsletter will always contain SSC meeting notices and the agenda is usually posted in the office three days prior to the meeting.
HOW DO I BECOME AN SSC MEMBER?
The members of the School Site Council are elected by their peers each year. For example, parents elect the parent representatives and teachers elect the teacher representatives. If you have any questions or are interested in being a part of the Miraloma School Site Council, email us at ssc@miralomasf.com.
DO I HAVE TO BE AN SSC MEMBER TO ATTEND THE MONTHLY MEETINGS?
No, you do not have to be a member of the SSC to attend the SSC monthly meetings. They are open to the entire school community. Participation, questions, comments, and concerns are always welcome. See the school calendar for upcoming meeting dates.