The School's Brain?: Site-Based Decision Making Committee

Maybe it’s not a perfect analogy. But the Site-Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM) does help all the parts of the school’s “body” move in the same direction.

What is the SBDM? It’s a group of parents and teachers that meet and review school programs. Along with the Board of Education, the SBDM has the authority to make decisions affecting school programs, aiming to better the school for students and teachers. The committee also develops, updates, and tracks progress on our School Improvement Plan, which is required by the state.

Says Alice Bumgarner, SBDM member, “It functions sort of like a hub for all the decisions and initiatives going on at the school. All the school committees (literacy, math, etc.), and the principal deliver reports to the SBDM, so we can make sure we’re all working toward common goals.”

SBDM meetings are open, so if you have a concern about what’s going on at the school, or if you’d like to share an idea or just learn more, please come!   Every meeting begins with 10 minutes for public comment. You can also talk to a parent or teacher on the committee, who can bring an issue on your behalf. Parent reps include Alice Bumgarner (who is also the SBDM liaison for the PTA), Bill Brown, Claudia Curtis, Thalia Fuller, Janice McCarthy, Carolina Musawwir, and Natasha Nazareth-Phelps (SBDM co-Chair).

George Watts’ next SBDM meeting is October 20, 7 p.m. in the Media Center.

For more information about SBDM, see the Durham Public School’s page on Parent Committees:
http://www.dpsnc.net/community/get-involved/parent-committees