Pre-Operational Management - The ES4SD

The pre-operational management by the Developers is the foundational framework on which the ES4SD depends. To this end, the first phase involves the Developers addressing the charter application and e-grant processes in a timely and competent manner. Issues to be addressed such as determining the pedagogical bases for the school and then writing curriculum relative to the pedagogy is a first step. Other pre-operational issues for the Developers in the formation phase of the ES4SD include but are not restricted to the creation of line item budgets, school by-laws, the location and contracting for the physical facility, and establishing relationships with families with school age children and community groups. Once the charter is approved, the Developers will address the hiring of staff, procurement of educational materials, furniture, legal and business related issues, Board set-up, and student recruitment and enrollment. When the Board is in place, this entity will have specific roles and responsibilities. This may include such things as supporting the CEO and reviewing his performance, insuring effective organizational planning, insuring adequate resources, managing resources effectively, monitoring the school’s program and services, and enhancing the school’s public image. The Elementary School for Sustainable Design will have an administrative team consisting of the CEO, an upper school administrator and a lower school administrator. The CEO will act as the bridge between the board and the staff of the Elementary School for Sustainable Design. He will be responsible for personnel issues, budget, overseeing and development of Service Learning projects, public relations, and the developmental campaign. The primary learning community will be grades K-4. The upper grades learning community will consist of grades 5-8. Unlike a traditional model, the lower and upper school administrators will be the curriculum specialist, coach, resource person, as well as evaluator. In our model the administrators will be integrally involved, and responsible in all aspects of curriculum and instruction. They will be true teacher leaders and mentors. The Elementary School For Sustainable Design will follow the Professional Learning Community Model. This model by nature lends itself to professional development. The goal is that the “experts” within are constantly sharing their expertise with each other. In this way, everyone at ES4SD is a leader and a learner.