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Effective Meetings

Open Meetings and Open Records for Board Members


Description
Georgia law has a specific manner in which school districts need to comply with related to Open Records/Open Meetings. This course will describe the specifics that belong and focus on what board members and superintendents should do to comply with these laws.

Instructor: Phil Hartley, Harben, Hartley & Hawkins

Course Length: 2 Hours
Board Credit Hours: 2 Hours

Board Governance Standards Covered in Course (Domain & Standard):

Domain I: Governance Structure

Standard B: The governance leadership team demonstrates a unified approach to governing the school system in order to assure effective fulfillment of roles and responsibilities.

Standard C: The board acts as a policy-making body separate from the roles and responsibilities authorized to the superintendent.

Domain V: Board Meetings

Standard A: The board announces and holds meetings in accordance with local board policy and the Open Meetings Law (O.C.G.A. ยง50-14-1).

Domain VII: Ethics

Standard A: The board of education adheres to, adopts and practices a Code of Ethics, avoids conflicts of interest, and annually reviews ethical standards to ensure and enhance governance structure and organizational effectiveness.
Content
  • Course Overview and Instructions
  • Section 1 - Open Meetings Act
  • Definition: What is and is not a meeting
  • Providing notice to the public and the press
  • Conducting the meeting
  • Member participation by teleconference
  • Meetings by teleconference
  • When does the law not apply?
  • Executive Session
  • Executive Session: Personnel
  • Executive Session: Attorney-Client Communications
  • Executive Session: Student Issues and Discussion of Confidential Records
  • Minutes
  • Minutes of Executive Session
  • Executive Session Affidavit
  • Executive Session Role of the Board Chair
  • Meeting violations and sanctions
  • Setting aside board action
  • Section 2 - Open Records Act
  • Open Records Act Overview
  • Open Records Act
  • Definition of Public Records
  • Designating an Open Records Officer
  • Response due within three days
  • Charging fees and costs
  • Forty-seven enumerated exemptions
  • Confidential Evaluations
  • Investigations
  • Tax Matters
  • Personal Information
  • Sealed Bids
  • Student Records
  • Attorney-Client Communications
  • Using ORA as Discovery
  • Emails
  • Violations and Sanctions
  • Section 3 - Conclusion
  • Open Meetings and Open Records Knowledge Check
  • Course Evaluation
Completion rules
  • All units must be completed
  • Leads to a certificate with a duration: until June 30
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