All parents are welcome to attend all parent council meetings. If you are interested in being a formal member on the School Advisory Council please complete the attached self-nomination form and nominate yourself. The positions of Chair/Co-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer will be voted on at our first meeting together. Please print the form, complete it and send it to school with your child no later than September 30, 2022. Forms are to be submitted to the principal.

SELF-NOMINATION FORM 

Our first Parent Council Meeting will take place on Monday, October 3, 2022 6:30pm-8:00pm in the library. We will select other meeting dates at our first meeting. 

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 WHAT IS THE SCHOOL’S ADVISORY COUNCIL (SAC)? 

Council Members

Parent members- A parent member is one who is a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the school. The board or the council must ensure that parent members form the majority of the school council membership. The regulation sets no maximum number of parents on a council; however, the number of parent members on the council should be stipulated by a school council bylaw or by the board if no bylaw exists. A chair or co-chair of a school council must be a parent member of the council. 

Community representative(s)- The council must appoint at least one community representative, who cannot be an employee at the school. If the community representative is employed elsewhere by the board, he or she must inform other council members of his or her employment prior to appointment. 

School staff representatives- 

 Any teacher in the school is eligible to seek election for the one teacher position on the school council. He or she is to be elected by other teachers in the school. The teacher position cannot be filled by a principal or vice-principal. 

Any member of the non-teaching staff in the school is eligible to seek election for the one non-teaching staff position on the school council. He or she is to be elected by other non-teaching staff members in the school. A non-teaching staff member is anyone employed at the school who does not have teaching duties, such as a secretary, an educational assistant, a library technician, a member of the custodial staff, or a lunchtime or hallway monitor. Parents working in such a capacity in the school that their children attend may consider running for the position of non-teaching staff representative if they wish to serve on the school council.

Attending school council meetings- The principal is required to attend and participate in every school advisory council meeting or to delegate this responsibility to a vice-principal. This requirement acknowledges the important role that principals play in providing support and continuity for their school councils. The principal and vice-principal may both choose to attend the meetings; however, only one of them can represent the school at the meeting in his or her official capacity. Principals (or vice-principals) are not eligible to vote on any matters being discussed by their school advisory councils, as it is not appropriate that the principal vote on the advice that he or she is given by the school advisory council.

Delegating authority- In addition to attendance at school advisory council meetings, the principal may delegate other powers or duties related to the school advisory council to a vice-principal. This is to ensure that the school advisory council is supported by the administration; ensuring that the school council is in place. 

Roles and Responsibilities of School Advisory Council Members-

 Accepting the role of school advisory council member carries with it certain responsibilities. Each school council may define the roles and responsibilities of its members in its operating bylaws. These operating bylaws may include the expectation that members attend council meetings regularly. All council members are encouraged to be familiar with their council’s expectations of members and be prepared to make a commitment to conduct the council’s business in a professional manner.

The TDSB has created common byways for all school council to use.

The Chair/Co-Chairs-

The chair/co-chairs of the council are elected by the council members and must be a parent or parents who are not employed by the school board.The chair/co-chairs are voting members who, in addition to performing the same duties as other council members, might:

1. arrange for meetings;
2. prepare agendas;
3. chair council meetings;
4. ensure that minutes of council meetings are recorded and maintained;
5. facilitate the resolution of conflict;
6. participate on other council established;
7. communicate with the school principal on behalf of the council.

 

Parent Representatives-

Parent representatives are voting members who:

• participate on any committees established by the school council;
• contribute to the discussions of the school council;
• solicit the views of other parents and members of the community to share with the school council;
• observe the council’s code of ethics and established bylaws.

School Principal-

The school principal must be a member of the school advisory council, as he or she is an important link between the council and the school. (In fact, a meeting cannot be considered a meeting of the school advisory council without the attendance of the school’s principal or designate). However, the principal is not a voting member of the council. 

The principal:

• distributes promptly to each council member material identified by the ministry for distribution;
• to school council members and posts the material in a school location accessible to parents;
• acts as a resource to the council on laws, regulations, and board policies;
• attends all school advisory council meetings, unless this responsibility has been delegated to the vice-principal;
• considers each recommendation made by the school advisory council to the principal and returns to the council with the action taken in response to the recommendation;
• solicits views on matters pertaining to the establishment or amendment of school policies and guidelines relating to student achievement, accountability of the education system to parents, and the communication of those plans to the public;
• may participate on any committees established by the school advisory council;
• may solicit the views of the school council on any matter;
• observes the council’s code of ethics and established bylaws.

Community Representative(s)-

The community representative(s) is a voting member who:

• contributes to the discussions of the school advisory council;
• represents the community’s perspective;
• may participate on any committees established by the school advisory council;
• helps build partnerships and links between the school and the community;
• observes the council’s code of ethics and established bylaws.

Consultation with the School Advisory Council- The principal consults with the school advisory council on a number of issues. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characteristics of Effective School Advisory Councils- Effective school councils are those that:

• focus on student learning and the best interests of all students;
• are actively involved in setting school priorities for improving student achievement;
• promote meaningful parental and community involvement and actively seek the views of their school communities;
• have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities;
• include members who represent the diverse views of their school communities;
• keep well informed about school and board policies and procedures;
• have clear and consistent processes for decision making;
• communicate with the community about their activities;
• maintain high ethical standards;
• have members who have developed mutual trust and respect for one another.