the personnel commissionandthe merit systematsanta monica college
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
The Personnel Commissionand
The Merit Systemat
Santa Monica College
Office Address
2714 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
90405
Mailing Address
1900 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
90405
Phone: (310) 4344410
24Hour Job Line: (310) 4344321
Fax: (310) 4343612
TDD: (310) 4344212
Website: www.smc.edu/jobs
The Merit System
Very simply, a merit system is a method of personnel management designed to
promote the efficiency and economy of the workforce and the good of the
public by providing for the selection and retention of employees, inservice
promotional opportunities, and other related matters, on the basis of merit and
fitness.
Who Started it?
The merit (civil service) system is not new. Early in the 1800s,
“spoils” patronage was well establish as amethod of filling government
jobs. It took the tragedy of the shooting of President Garfield by a
disgruntled officeseeker in 1881 to focus enough attention on the
practice to spark legislative reform. Two years later, Congress passed
the Civil Service Act of 1883 (The Pendleton Act) which set up the first
civil service system for federal employees to guard against patronage
appointments.
In the following years, state and local civil service systems flourished,
but it was not until 1936 that the first merit system law for school
districts was established. California became the leader in the national
movement toward merit systems in school systems when, as a result
of a disgracefulpatronage system in one of our larger school districts,
more than 700 employees were fired on the day after an election to
make room for political “spoilsmen”.
Who uses it?
There are more than 100 merit system school and college districts in
California which employ almost 60 percent of the total classified (non
certificated) school employees in the state. A merit system may be
voted into a district by local Board of Trustees action, by a majority
vote of the district’s classified employees, or by majority vote of the
voting electors of the school or college district. The merit system was
first adopted by Santa Monica College as part of the Santa Monica City
Schools by the Board of Education on May 9, 1938.
Who administers it?
The PERSONNEL COMMISSION is the mainstay of the merit system.
It is an independent body composed of five persons appointed for
three year staggered terms. Commissioners are lay persons who must
be known adherents of the merit principle. The Personnel Commission
is responsible for maintaining a merit systemfor classified employees
of the school system and for fostering the advancement of a
career service for such employees.
To execute these responsibilities, the State Education Code provides
that the Personnel Commission shall classify positions, recommend
salaries, hear appeals of disciplinary and dismissal matters, and
protests involving examinations, selection or appointment procedures,
and prescribe rules related to a variety of personnel practices.
Authority for Personnel Commission functions is provided by Sections
88060 through 88139 of the State Education Code.
Who needs it?
There are more than 100 merit system school and college districts in
California which employ almost 60 percent of the total classified (non
certificated) school employees in the state. A merit system may be
voted into a district by local Board of Trustees action, by a majority
vote of the district’s classified employees, or by majority vote of the
voting electors of the school or college district. The merit system was
first adopted by Santa Monica College as part of the Santa Monica City
Schools by the Board of Education on May 9, 1938.
The Personnel Commission has
regular and special meetings.
Normally the Commission meets
on the third Wednesday of each
month, usually in the Board Room
on the college campus.
Commission meetings normally
start at 12:00p.m. Public notice
agendas are published and
distributed at least 72 hours in
advance of each meeting.
Agendas and Minutes are
available on our website:
http://www.smc.edu/pcagenda
Meetings
Material addressed to or intended
for the Commission should be
directed to the Secretary to the
Commission in time for the
scheduled meetings, indicating
desired distribution and whether
the matter is intended for formal
consideration or general
information. Sensitive personnel
issues may be discussed in
closed session in accordance with
the Brown Act. Informal
communications may be conveyed
by the Secretary, who is the
Personnel Director.
communications
In order to accomplish the dayto
day objectives and operations of
the Commission it employs a
permanent staff consisting of
technical, secretarial and
clerical support personnel, and
such other staff members as may
be needed to accomplish the
mandated and delegated mission.
staff
Merit Principles
Hiring and promoting
employees on the basis of
ability, with open
competition in initial
appointment.
Providing fair
compensation on the
basis of like pay for like
work.
Retaining employees on
the basis of performance,
correcting inadequate
performances, and separating
those whose
inadequate performance
cannot be corrected.
Training employees as
needed for highquality
performance.
Protecting employees
against political coercion
and prohibiting use of
official position
to affect an election or
nomination for office.
Assuring fair
treatment of applicants
and employees in all aspects of
personnel administration without
regard to race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age,
disability, sexual orientation, or
marital status, and with proper
regard for their privacy and
constitutional
rights as citizens.
California School PersonnelCommissioners Association
...is a statewide organization composed of Personnel Commissions of school districts and county offices of
education which have adopted the merit system provided for in the Education Code, State of California.
Through Publications, conferences, workshops and other services, the organization stimulates
professional growth by helping its members keep up with the rapidly changing public
personnel profession. Active members are Personnel Commissioners and Directors in merit system school
districts. The purpose of CSPCS, as set down by the founders in 1971, is:
“To promote and advance public education on a noncommercial, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan basis,
through programs or research, investigation and communication designed to stimulate and improve public
school personnel management to the benefit of the public, the districts and their classified employees.”
The Santa Monica Community College District Personnel Commission is an active member of the CSPCA.