FAQs

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Q: Does your LSAT have any formal guidance on members serving more than one term? Ours presumes only 1-year terms, but honestly I needed the full year of 20-21 to understand what was going on. At the same time, I'm sure it's helpful to get fresh blood in there regularly. Do you have any official language/guidance your school follows to enable some learning and institutional memory as well as fresh rotation?

A: There are NOT term limits for the LSAT. The LSAT guidelines do not specify term limits. I served on the LSAT for three years in a row as an elected parent member. And I agree with you that it takes a year or so to even learn what the LSAT is, understand DCPS systems, etc. --Neha Misra

Our LSAT (Brent Elementary) allows multiple terms. To ensure institutional memory, the terms are 2 years long and we have 6 parent representatives. Every year 3 of the parents terms expire and we have a new election for 3 positions. That means we always have at least 3 parents who have served a year. --Ann

Q: The principal of our school coordinates and directs all the LSAT action steps and meetings, but I learned last year that principals are not technically LSAT members. How have you established a healthy dynamic where school administrators are not taking on yet another job, and there's also a degree of separation between the LSAT and administration?

A: The LSAT guidelines set out very clearly the role of the principal in the LSAT. It is the responsibility of the Chair of the LSAT and not the principal to coordinate and direct all LSAT action steps and meetings. As you noted, principals are NOT LSAT members and they cannot vote or represent the LSAT. The guidelines do say that the meeting date/time and agenda should be discussed with the principal and that an LSAT meeting cannot happen without the principal present. Other than that however the LSAT should be led by the chair and the members, not the principal. --Neha Misra

One thing we try to do is have meetings without the principal between the other parent leadership groups - for us that is the LSAT, PTA and Diversity Working Group. Make sure we understand each others groups goals enables us to support each other when advocating with the principal. --Ann

Q: Does your school have any language you could share establishing co-chairs, to ensure that parent/community LSAT members stay informed? Our chair was a staff member last year and as I parent I felt fairly in the dark about next steps and budget negotiation happening with central office.

A: Unfortunately I don't have any language for you on this, but we did try to ensure that either a parent was the Chair or Co-Chair with a school staff member of the LSAT to ensure that there was some independence of the LSAT from the principal. At some schools, staff are very much aligned with the principal and/or discouraged from speaking out against what the principal wants so I think that this is very important. Also, the WTU contract requires schools to have a parent representative on the Personnel/Hiring committee. If your school isn’t doing this, you should let the principal know. --Neha Misra

We aim to have 2 co-chairs - one parent and one teacher or school employee. That has been very helpful for information sharing. --Ann

Q: I'm curious to know how much feedback your principals have collected from you on the budget submissions. How many times will you have met between the budget allocations coming out and your school's final budget submission? How much feedback has your principal taken and has that been formal (e.g., taking a vote of the LSAT to significantly inform/determine decisions) or is the principal just listening to the group's thoughts and then making decisions?

A: School Without Walls HS has a very engaged LSAT committee. I am the co-chair and so far we have had four meetings with our interim-principal. I have also had several co-chairs and principals only meetings for updates and review of plans. The info is public as it can be found at DCPS data center where you can compare schools. We are having a very difficult budget situation, but our leadership engages us, makes presentations regarding the budget, provides updates so that I can inform the committee, and helps to send out meeting links for parents to register for the monthly meetings via Jupiter. If you go to DCPS LSAT toolkit, you should be able to find out who your outreach coordinator is if you need assistance building LSAT capacity with your principal. One thing that is helpful is if cuts are to be made, the principal supplies you with options that the LSAT can weigh and advise on what works best with the school's vision and Comprehensive School Plan (CSP). --Marion

I am the chair at Tyler Elementary and our Principal is very engaged in budget conversations. We have met almost bi-weekly since October and folded in the reopening corps items. There was not much room to make changes this year but she did reallocate especially for the needs raised by the school staff. There's been a lot of discussion about providing support in and out of the classroom for the reopening next Fall and that has been identified as a priority. Overall the conversation has been fluid. We have finalized our budget for FY 22. --Lauren

Q: Who can fill the "Non-Instructional Staff" LSAT member position?

A: Basically any non ET-15's (which your principal should understand). This includes: paraprofessionals, behavior techs, attendance counselors, office staff, and maintenance staff. However, it does not include MSL/DSL or AP positions. --Bijan