FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

Government at Indian Springs is based on the premise that persons affected by a policy have a right to participate in its development. Accordingly, most of our policies and regulations are developed cooperatively. Although the administration has the final say in all matters relating to school operation, including those concerning policy, dialogue--formal and informal, within the faculty and student body and between the two groups--is the primary vehicle by means of which decisions are made and guidelines developed. A commitment has been made to our students that no policy affecting them will be enacted without first giving them the opportunity to express their views regarding it. This is normally accomplished through town meetings and organized group discussions; however, it is not uncommon for students, individually or in small groups, to meet on an impromptu basis with the administration to discuss school-community problems or convey points of view. Joint meetings of faculty and student leaders, especially at the opening of school in the fall, provide a forum for airing opinions and resolving differences. The intent of all such activities is to broaden the basis within which decisions are made and to insure that student opinion is heard and considered.

Rules that tend to restrict individual freedom are kept to a minimum at Indian Springs, on the assumption that students need a certain amount of latitude in order to develop responsibility and grow in their ability to make significant choices. On the other hand, we believe it is our duty to take a stand with regard to certain kinds of behavior--a prohibitive posture in some instances and a directive one in others--in the interest of both individuals and the School. We are also obligated to inculcate within students a proper respect for rules and an appreciation of their importance in a rules-governed society. Though rules are necessary, their existence does not lessen the importance of mutual trust, nor does it relieve students of the obligation to act responsibly. There is more freedom at Indian Springs than at most schools. Our system of government depends for its success on the willingness of students to exercise their freedoms responsibly. Fortunately, most ISS students over the years have recognized that the surest way to preserve their freedom is to support the rules that give it definition.

This document describes the system of government at Indian Springs. We ask that you become familiar with its contents; that you commit yourself to the highest levels of productive citizenship of which you are capable; and that you exemplify to the best of your ability those ideals of loyalty and devotion to the School that will enable you to be a strong influence for good within the ISS community.

THE CONSTITUTION

Preamble

Under the freedom granted the faculty and students of Indian Springs School by the Board of Governors of the Alabama Educational Foundation, the governing body of Indian Springs School , there is herewith created the official Indian Springs School-Community Constitution.

The purpose of the Constitution, and of the government, is to promote living and learning in accordance with the values and principles of democracy and the Judaeo-Christian ethic, thereby contributing to the intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual, and ethical development of all members of the Indian Springs School-Community.

In establishing this Constitution, the members of the Indian Springs School-Community affirm that students and teachers do not have to accept themselves or their surroundings as they are, but that it is within their power to improve both through participation in constructive change. Such participation enhances the worth and dignity of man, develops responsibility, and leads man to the realization of latent powers.

Article I - School-Community Life

The School-Community exists for the purpose of providing an environment in which each individual can develop to his or her full stature. Certain values and ideals are prized because they contribute to making the School-Community a better place in which to live and learn. Each member is responsible for working toward the realization of these values and ideals.

In our School-Community, we aspire to:

1. Show reverence toward the spiritual;

2. Develop genuine friendships;

3. Respect the worth and dignity of the individual;

4. Widen the area of common agreement by which decisions are made and actions taken;

5. Develop personal integrity and moral courage;

6. Help individuals to develop their talents and skills;

7. Stimulate individuals to give direct, unselfish service to the School-Community;

8. Reflect disapproval of behavior wherein one individual does or says things harmful to another, or to the good name of the School; and

9. Prohibit any organized group that divides or tends to divide the School-Community.

We encourage individuals to:

1. accept their political responsibilities;

2. keep informed about School-Community jobs when the general welfare requires it;

3. voice opinions and demands directly to the proper officials;

4. use democratic methods to achieve group agreement;

5. consider the common good before group or personal loyalties; and

6. live in accordance with agreed-upon standards.

We encourage a continuous evaluation of things as they are with a view to improvement.

Article II - Structure of the Government

1. The officials of government are:

a. the Director of Indian Springs School, elected by the Board of Governors;

b. the Council, composed of the Mayor and Commissioners elected by the students to the five

commissions;

c. the Class Representatives (two from each class in grades 8 through 11); and

d. five faculty liaisons to the commissions, appointed by the Administration.

2. The five student commissions are Citizenship, Education, Protection, Recreation, and Services. Each of these commissions is paralleled by a faculty committee of similar name and substantially the same function.

Article III - Duties of Government Officials

1. The duty of the mayor is to provide leadership for the Council and the community as a whole in building a greater understanding of the aims and purposes of the community and in bringing about the realization of these aims and purposes through the various Commissions. He or she is responsible for seeing that the Commissions fulfill their respective duties and for coordinating the work of the Commissions. He or she is further directed to maintain a permanent typewritten record of the minutes of all town meetings and Council meetings and to file that record in the school archives at the end of his or her term.

2. The duties of the Commission on Citizenship are concerned with the continuing evaluation of the quality of citizenship as exhibited on a day-to-day basis, in and out of the classroom, and in the larger community beyond the boundary lines of Indian Springs School . The focus of this commission is upon responsible behavior in group living and upon exposing opportunities for participation in needed citizenship and service activities.

3. The duties of the Commission on Education are concerned with the continuing evaluation and improvement of teaching and learning and of the conditions which influence teaching and learning.

4. The duties of the Commission on Protection are concerned with the enforcement of the standards of the School-Community. Members of the commission are, in a special sense, guardians of the rights, values, principles and ideals set out in this Constitution. The method of enforcement is persuasion. However, where persuasion does not prove successful, the commission may take more stringent measures.

5. The duties of the Commission on Recreation are concerned with the continuing evaluation and improvement of wholesome recreational activities in the School-Community.

6. The duties of the Commission on Services are concerned with the continuing evaluation and improvement of the range of needed services in the School-Community.

7. It is the duty of each joint commission and committee to prepare in writing a program of action to be made effective during the specified term of office. The program should present the strategy as opposed to the tactics of the commission and committee. If there are parts of the program which require new policies or revisions of old policies, these rules will be formulated according to the procedure set forth in Articles V, Section C.

8. Faculty-Council approval of programs of action constitutes the authority needed by officers to implement their plans. Responsibility for making programs of action effective rests with the faculty liaison and with the student commissioners.

9. The Mayor has final responsibility for the effectiveness of the commissions, and the Director of Indian Springs School has final responsibility for the effectiveness of the faculty liaisons and committees. It shall be the duty of the Mayor and Director to see that the commissions and committees develop a unified program. The purpose here is to improve specific aspects of School-Community from the vantage point of a comprehensive view of School-Community problems.

10. It is the duty of each commission to keep a permanent typewritten record of policies and activities and to file that record in the school archives at the end of the term.

In performing these duties, the responsibility of each official is first to the values and principles set forth in this Constitution; second to his or her own conscience; and third to public opinion.

Article IV - Measures Governing Behavior

The price of freedom is its responsible exercise, and freedoms inescapably have their counterparts in self-restraint and obligation. Various types of regulations are promulgated by the administration, the faculty, and the students to insure the maintenance of the Community's values and the balance of freedom and responsibility.

A. Administrative Policies

Administrative policies are limited to areas deemed particularly significant by the School Director and related especially to the protection of the School's good name. The development of these policies is the responsibility of the Director, who solicits input from various constituencies as he or she deems appropriate.

B. Faculty Policies

Policies promulgated by the faculty are, in general, concerned with the safety and well-being of the student body.

The faculty is pledged to hear student opinion relating to the formulation of policies which concern students, but the faculty reserves the right to make decisions independent of the majority opinion of students.

C. Student Standards

In keeping with our commitment to the widest possible student participation in government, the faculty shall designate, from time to time and in accordance with its best judgment, certain activities or functions of government in which students shall be free to govern, under the following principles and assumptions:

1. The designation by the faculty to students of activities in which students are free to govern (“Standards Areas”) is intended to develop in students a sense of duty in the exercise of freedom.

2. The freedom granted to students is commensurate with the responsibility they display, as judged by the faculty.

3. The designation of Standards Areas assumes close cooperation between faculty and students. Students are under obligation not to petition the faculty for such designation except in those instances where there has been prior cooperative thinking and planning by representatives of the faculty and council.

4. The creation of an atmosphere or climate of opinion favorable to faculty designation of a Standards Area is a joint responsibility of faculty and students. The faculty shall refrain from designating Standards Areas except in those instances where there is evidence of widespread desire on the part of students to undertake responsible management of that area. In acting on a petition under this Section, the faculty is obligated to insist also on evidence of careful thought and good faith upon the part of students.

5. The exercise by students of authority in any designated area shall not violate the principle that persuasion is the preferred means of enforcement.

6. It shall be the duty of faculty and students together to plan ways and means of observing and evaluating on a continuing basis the results of the exercise of freedom by students in governing.

7. It shall be the duty of the faculty to withdraw any designation of a Standards Area if and when students fail to show responsibility in their governance in that area. Faculty may not mandate changes in Standards or in student enforcement procedures in Standards Areas. Continuing consultation between students and faculty about management of Standards Areas is assumed, but if students fail, in the faculty's judgment, to manage a Standards Area responsibly, the faculty will re-assume control of that area.

8. In withdrawing a designation of a Standards Area, the faculty will give its reasons first to the mayor and council, and then to the town meeting, but there is no implication here of a right to veto by either group.

Article V - Machinery of Government

Three formal procedures exist to enable communication between faculty, students, and administration about matters of school policy.

A. Small group meetings (groups consisting of a faculty member and several students) are held whenever administration, faculty or students perceive the need for them--as in the procedure for formulating standards specified below, or in any case where extended deliberation is required.

B. Town Meetings (assemblies of all students and faculty) are held (1) to ratify adoption of standards formulated under the provisions of Article IV and Section C below; (2) when announcements concerning the entire community are to be made; or (3) when pressing matters require more urgent consideration.

Town Meetings, when needed, are called either by the mayor, with the consent of the administration, the faculty, or the Director.

Students have the right to petition either the faculty or the council for a Town Meeting.

The presiding officer of the Town Meeting is the mayor. In absence of the mayor, the council will designate a presiding officer. However, if the meeting is called by the administration or faculty, the Director or his designated representative may take charge of the meeting.

Three-fourths of the student body constitutes a quorum. Decisions of the Town Meeting will be determined by a majority of those present and voting, provided a quorum is present. The presiding officer will determine whether the voting will be secret or public.

C. Standards are formulated by means of the following procedure:

1. Students initiate an inquiry into the possibility of assuming responsibility for an area, or faculty may encourage students to assume responsibility for an area. Faculty may also propose changes to existing standards.

2. The Mayor or a council member, in consultation with any other faculty and students he or she chooses (the “originating group ”) , writes a proposal for standards or revisions to be implemented in the area in question. After preliminary approval by the joint faculty/council meeting, there will be small-group discussions of the proposed standards and means of enforcement, as provided in Section A above. The final proposal is then considered by the joint meetings of faculty and council, and either approved or returned to the originating group for revision.

3. Upon final approval of a proposal by the faculty and council, the proposed standards are carried to the Town Meeting for final adoption by a 2/3 majority. If the consultation procedure has not produced widespread commitment to the proposal on the part of students, the Mayor will remand the matter to the originating group for further consideration.

4. At the beginning of the school year, the council will review existing standards and present them to the town meeting (or in small groups) for consideration and possible revision. Standards of the preceding year are in effect until this is done.

Article VI - Elections

1. Schedule

a. Elections will be held the second or third week of May and January.

b. The election speeches will be presented at a town meeting; students will vote at the dining hall

at lunch. The results will be announced by the following day.

c. The Commission on Citizenship will administer the voting process. A faculty supervisor will aid

in the vote tallying. As a person votes, his or her name will be checked off a list to prevent

students from submitting more than one ballot.

d. The election for Judiciary and all runoffs will be held following the general election.

2. Only members of the student body will be eligible to vote for student officials.

3. The Town Meeting will establish the procedure for the election of officials or will authorize the outgoing council to establish such a procedure.

4. Election is by majority vote. If the candidate with the highest number of votes does not receive a majority of all votes cast, there will be a run-off with the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes. In the case of a tie there will also be a run-off.

5. The procedure for filling vacancies occurring in any elective office during a term will be decided by the town meeting.

6. The Mayor and Commissioners may ask each class to elect representatives in order to increase participation and representation at student government meetings.

Article VII - Amendments

1. The proposed amendment must be submitted in petition form to a joint meeting of the faculty and council.

2. If the proposal is approved by the joint faculty-council meeting, it will be submitted to the Town Meeting for final approval and adoption. A two-thirds majority of votes will determine whether or not the proposed amendment is adopted.

Article VIII - Amendment I: Judiciary

The Indian Springs School Judiciary is a body comprised of students elected entirely by the students for the purpose of hearing and ruling on infractions of rules and standards within the Indian Springs School Community. The Judiciary is composed of nine members with one faculty liaison. Any student who wishes to run for the Judiciary is both welcome and encouraged to do so. The faculty is to have no say in who is allowed to run.

A. The Head of Judiciary

The Head of Judiciary is elected out of an organized meeting of all Judiciary members and the faculty liaison where members are nominated and voted on. The Head of Judiciary must have served at least one term, if there is such a member. The Head of Judiciary has no regular vote; he or she serves only as a tiebreaker vote.

The Head is responsible for bringing a copy of the Read 'n' Heed and his file of all Judiciary cases and precedents to every meeting. It is the Head's responsibility to alert all accused and their accusers as to the meeting date and to have those people give their signatures signifying that they have been officially notified. It is the responsibility of the Head that the Dean of Students receives a report of cases, rulings, and work hours given.

B. The Faculty Liaison to Judiciary

The faculty's sole representation in Judiciary comes through the Faculty Liaison. Students are to be left with the responsibility and control of the Judiciary; the Faculty Liaison acts only as a guide. He or she may voice an opinion, act as a clarifier and interpreter of the rules, and assist in interrogating the accused, but may not vote. The Faculty Liaison is expected to abide by all rules by which the members of the Judiciary Committee abide.

C. The Student Recorder

A student will be nominated and voted on by the Judiciary as Student Recorder, as the Head deems necessary. If the Head feels comfortable serving as Recorder, he or she may do so. The Recorder is expected to abide by all rules of the Judiciary and, if not a regular member of the Judiciary, is not to speak his or her mind on a case, but to simply keep silent and keep an accurate record.    

Judiciary Procedure

All records given are to be reported to the Dean or Students or the faculty representative to Judiciary, who is to alert the Judiciary, or directly to the Judiciary Head. It is the Head's responsibility to assure that all accused and accusers are alerted to the time and place of a Judiciary meeting. Only the nine members of the Judiciary, the Recorder, and the faculty liaison are allowed to hear the decision-making process.

Meeting dates are to be set on days when the maximum number of students can attend, but to hold a meeting, at least five members of the Judiciary other than the Head must be present.

Before each person is brought in to be tried, the Head will explain the case to the other members of the Judiciary. Both the accused and the accuser are subject to the questions of the Judiciary. Each person responsible for issuing a record must attend the Judiciary meeting, offer a detailed written explanation, or ensure that a Judiciary member understands all aspects of the case thoroughly. If the accuser does not do so and the accused maintains his or her innocence, the accused will be judged not guilty. If the accused does not attend a meeting without a viable excuse, he or she will be judged guilty and punished accordingly. The precedent system will be considered but, because special circumstances will be considered, not necessarily adhered to. It is the Judiciary's responsibility to question the accused concerning all aspects of the case and any connected incidents. The Judiciary is also responsible for punishing the accused for all offenses uncovered during the course of the interrogation. After assignment of work hours, the Judiciary is responsible for setting a due date for all work hours received to be completed. If this due date is not met, the accused will be charged with “work hour delinquency.”

A brief written explanation of all decisions including a breakdown of the work hours and their corresponding offenses is required to be given to the Head, the faculty liaison, and the Dean of Students or the faculty representative to Judiciary who is in turn responsible for giving the work hour assignments to each students' faculty counselor. It is each faculty counselor's responsibility to keep track of work hours performed and time of any car suspension for each counselee.

Judiciary Rules

1. All Judiciary members, the Faculty Liaison, and the Student Recorder must act with seriousness of purpose, maintain respectful conduct, and lead by example.

2. All Judiciary members have equal say and power.

3. Judiciary members, the Faculty Liaison, the Student Recorder, the Dean of Students or the faculty representative to Judiciary, and the student's Faculty Counselor must maintain confidentiality of the cases they hear, and there will be no discussion of the decision-making process in front of the accused or the accuser. The only person allowed to discuss the decision of the Judiciary is the person found guilty; it is that person's decision alone.

4. Personal bias of any kind against anyone may not affect the vote or discussion of a case.

5. Even if the Judiciary disagrees with a rule, if the accused is found guilty of breaking that rule, they must punish accordingly.

6. The Judiciary must meet at least once per term for a self-evaluation and discussion of any necessary changes to these rules.

7. The Judiciary may not assign cruel or unusual punishments.

8. Judiciary members are expected to attend every meeting. A Judiciary member is allowed one unexcused absence before being censured.

9. All Judiciary members must acknowledge their willingness to abide by these rules and procedures or risk being censured by the Judiciary.

10. If a Judiciary member is responsible for issuing a record, that member will not vote on that case.

Article IX - Amendment II: Impeachment of Elected Officials

•  Any member of the Indian Springs School-Community can suggest to the Judiciary the impeachment of an elected student official.

•  If the Judiciary agrees by a plurality vote of all nine members that the case warrants the consideration of the Town Meeting, then the Mayor and/or the Head of Judiciary will present it to the student body in a Town Meeting.

•  If the case presented passes the Town Meeting with a two-thirds majority vote by secret ballot, the accused official will be removed from office immediately. A special election will be held to fill the vacancy.