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LEGACY OVERVIEW

The VELA Legacy is a web-based tool also available as a printed desktop reference guide. It is divided into the six major functional areas of school systems (General Operations; General Support Services, Curriculum and Instruction, Student Support Services, Human Resources, and Fiscal Services), each of which is divided into sub-topics. Under every topic questions and suggested tasks are posed for each of the three key leadership positions (board member, superintendent, and principal), serving as starting points for discussions regarding roles and responsibilities.

This tool is designed to be used by individuals and teams of leaders who wish to reflect on and clarify their role within their organization. The Legacy does not provide answers to the questions, since there are as many different approaches to running schools in Vermont as there are school systems and VELA does not try to give any "right" way to proceed. Instead, the Legacy encourages school leaders to engage in discussions to determine how things are and could be handled in their districts, and who is responsible for getting each job done. Leaders need to understand their responsibilities, and each person needs to be in common agreement on what everyone’s responsibilities are before leaders can be held accountable. This resource is intended to initiate the dialogue necessary among educational leaders to reach common agreement. VELA hopes that the Legacy will help each educational leader to become as effective as possible by participating in the critical discussions that lead to shared decision-making.

To use this tool, look at the Functions of School Systems to find your topic of interest. Turn to that section and note the section overview at the top of the page. Read and reflect on the guiding questions and tasks to consider. To gain a broader perspective on their system, it is important for school leaders to reflect not only on their role, but the other roles as well, and to consider the role differences across columns.

Overall questions to consider when using this resource are:

• How does this functional area support improved student learning outcomes?
• What are our system’s goals in this area?
• What is our current status in this area?
• Is there a gap between our goals and our current status? If so how will we address this?
• Am I clear about who is responsible for various expectations in this area?
• Are there policies required by law or recommended by VSBA for this area?
• What are our current policies and procedures in this area?
• How do we compare with other districts and the state in this area?
• What is our history in this area and what are the trends?