What’s the Difference Between a Brown Act Committee, Superintendent Advisory Committee, and a Working Group?

The short answer is control and transparency. With a Brown Act Committee, the Board (and by extension, the public) maintain control, and Brown Act Committees provide the highest level of transparency of the three. A Superintendent Advisory Committee shifts control to the Superintendent, and removes transparency. A Working Group keeps control with the Superintendent and removes more transparency.

I asked the Board at our last meeting to agendize discussion of formation of a Brown Act Committee for curriculum. Previously, we had a Superintendent’s Committee for curriculum. Now, it is a “working group” that reviews slides for the curriculum webinars and gives input.

The Brown Act is California’s set of open meetings laws. It guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies. Accordingly, a Brown Act Committee provides the most structure and transparency to the community. A Brown Act committee must provide public notice and agendas for each meeting, and allow all members of the public to participate in the meeting. A Brown Act committee is established by a vote of the Board. The committee provides advice and guidance to the Board. The Board controls the direction and mission of the committee.

Superintendent Advisory Committees are appointed by the Superintendent and provide guidance and advice to the Superintendent. The public is not entitled to participate, and there is no agenda or notice requirement for meetings. If more than two Board members participate in these meetings, however, then we have a Brown Act violation. All of our Superintendent Advisory Committee meetings can be viewed by the public via a Zoom link. See here.

A “working group” is a less-structured iteration of a Superintendent Advisory Committee. Our curriculum working group, for example, reviews slides for the district’s curriculum webinars and gives input. In these webinars, information is presented about classes that have already been taught.

Regardless of how the District chooses to involve parents in curriculum - whether it is with a Brown Act committee, Advisory Committee, or Working Group, the District is required to include parents in the curriculum review and adoption process. It must be meaningful and not illusory or after-the-fact. The State guidelines for piloting textbooks and instructional materials are here.

What do you think? Should we stick with the working group, go back to the advisory committee model, or create a Brown Act Committee for curriculum? How do you feel about our curriculum adoption process? What can we do to improve it? Email me at hamillj@pvpusd.net.

A reminder that I don’t speak for the Board. This is just one lady’s opinion. Thanks for reading.