OPE "All About" CR A-660 Series1 PA/PTA Nominations and Elections Nominations and Elections...

OPE "All About" CR A-660 Series 1

PA/PTA Nominations and Elections

Nominations and Elections

Nominations Process

Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee

Ceased to Function

Expedited Elections

Alternate Process for Identifying CEC Selectors

Reporting Requirements


Introduction

In order to provide ongoing support and professional development to the Regional Parent Teams, Supervisors of Parent Support, Parent Support Officers and in turn the school based parent coordinators, the Office of Parent Engagement (OPE) has developed an “All About” series of presentations about a number of pertinent topics related to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (CR A-660), “Parent Associations and the Schools.”

This topic in the series is an overview of Parent Association/Parent-Teacher Associations (PA/PTA) nominations and elections; the expedited election process; the responsibilities of the nominating committee; steps to reactivate a PA that has ceased to function; and reporting requirements. In addition, this presentation also highlights a related topic – the alternate method for selecting Community or Citywide Education Council (CEC or CCEC) selectors in the event that the school’s PA has ceased to function.

As always. it is the expectation of OPCE that Regional/District Parent staff will use these presentations as a framework for developing workshops for parent coordinators, parents and other members of the school community.


Overview

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….Page 2 Overview………………………………………………………………………………. Guidance Documents…………………………………………………….. ……………Page 4 How CR A-660 Revisions Will Impact Spring Elections?………………………...Pages 5 - 6 Nominations Process……………………………………………………………………Page 7 No Nominating Committee, No Problem……………………………………………….Page 8 Nominating Committee Responsibilities………………………………………………..Page 9 Eligibility………………………………………….……………………………............Page 10 Meeting Notices………………………………………………………………………...Page 11 Campaign Limitations, Use of School Facilities…………………………………….....Page 12 Preparing for the Election……………………………………………………… Pages 13 - 14 Nominating Committee Will Need……………………………………………………..Page 15 Troubleshooting Spring PA Elections………………….………………………............Page 16 Ballots…………………………………………………………………………………..Page 17 Ceased to Function…………………………………………………………………….. Page 18 Expedited PA Nominations and Elections……………………………………………...Page 19 Alternate Methods for Selecting CDEC, CCSE and CCHS Selectors………………….Page 20 PA Officers’ Names, Home Addresses and Telephone Numbers………………………Page 21 Quiz……………………………………………………………………………….Pages 22 – 24 Resources………………………………………………………………………………..Page 25 More “All About” CR A-660 Topics……………………………………………………Page 26 Inquiries………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27


Guidance Documents

PA/PTA Bylaws with latest amendments

Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (CR A-660)

Note: PA/PTA bylaws must conform to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660. A PA/PTA must have duly adopted bylaws in order to conduct any PA/PTA business, including elections.


How Revisions to CR A-660 Will Impact

PA Elections? All parents, legally appointed guardians and persons in parental

relation to children attending a school are now automatically members of the school’s PA.

PAs can no longer include language in their bylaws that require qualifications for any PA office.

PA bylaws must include language that allows one vote per member.

If PAs opt to elect *Co-Presidents they must appear on the ballot as a team.

*Please note that when PA/PTAs opt to elect Co-Presidents, they must include language in their bylawsregarding the selection of the designated Co-President that will serve as the SLT core member; therepresentative to the district’s or region’s Presidents’ Council and/or the CDEC selector. CR A-655requires that the remaining members of the Executive Board determine the core member of the SLT.


How Revisions to CR A-660 Will Impact PA Elections?

The principal must be notified by the PA of the date and time of the election two weeks before the second Wednesday (April 28th) of May in each school year.

PA elections must be completed between Monday, May 24th – Friday, June 11th.

PAs must develop an alternate process for selecting volunteers to conduct the nominations and election process, in the absence of a nominating committee.


Nominations Process

The nominations process should be clearly defined in the PA/PTA’s bylaws.

When bylaws require that a Nominating Committee be formed, language must be included which explains how the Committee is established and outlines Committee responsibilities. The majority of the members of the Nominating Committee must be selected from the general membership.

Persons employed in the school may not serve on the Nominating Committee.

In the absence of any bylaws requirement to form a Nominating Committee, the bylaws must clearly define a process for conducting PA nominations and elections.


No Nominating Committee, No Problem

In the event that a PA cannot form a nominating committee, OPE has provided samplelanguage in the bylaws template (page 6) that outlines two alternate processes forconducting PA nominations and elections:

The executive board must communicate that the nominations and election process outlined above will proceed under the direction of at least two members of the association who are not running for office.

These members will be selected to serve in this role by vote of the general membership at the March general membership meeting. They will perform the responsibilities and adhere to the timeframe outlined in this section of the bylaws. They may also seek assistance in conducting nominations and the election from the appropriate region/district presidents’ council and/or the principal or his/her designee and/or the district or regional superintendent or his/her designee.

or If at least two members of the association who are not running for office are not/can not

be identified to conduct the nominations and election process or

an expedited nominations and election process as outlined in Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 will be conducted by the appropriate region/district presidents’ council and/or the district or regional superintendent or his/her representative by no later than the second Friday in June.


Nominating Committee Responsibilities

The Nominating Committee is responsible for conducting the nominations and electionprocess, this will include:

1. canvassing the membership for all eligible candidates2. determining and verifying the eligibility of all interested candidates3. preparing and distributing notices (all notices should include a distribution date)4. conducting all meetings that pertain to the nominations and election process5. officially closing all nominations6. notifying Principal of the date and time of the election two week before the

second Wednesday in May (April 28th) 7. preparing ballots

8. ensuring that only eligible members receive a ballot for voting 9. completing election by June 11th

10. assisting with the tallying of election results 11. reporting the results and ensuring that the election is certified by the Principal or

his/her designee 12. retaining ballots for six months or until a grievance has been determined, which

ever period is longer


Eligibility

PA bylaws may not contain qualifications for holding PA office.

Members of the same family may not be prohibited from serving as officers, however, they may not serve as dual signatories. (See Section I.K.3. for fiscal restrictions.)*

The following members are not eligible to serve as an elected officer of the PA:

Community and Citywide District Education Council member(s) from the same district with a child in the school

staff member employed in the school (i.e., teacher, Parent Coordinator)

*These references are found in Chancellor’s Regulation A-660


Meeting Notices

Written notices soliciting recommendations must be widely distributed to the membership.

Notices should be translated in the languages spoken by parents in the school.

Notices must be distributed to membership at least 10 calendar days before a meeting.

Notices should indicate the PA officer vacancies and briefly describe the roles and responsibilities

Notices should include the distribution date.


Campaign Limitations, Use of Facilities and Information Distribution

No school facilities or supplies may be used on behalf of or in support of any candidate or of candidates. The following activities are prohibited (CR A-130):

use of school equipment or supplies to reproduce or distribute campaign materials (flyers, announcements, biographies, etc.)

posting or distribution of campaign materials on school premises


Preparing for the Election

Following the official close of nominations

Prepare and distribute reminder notices which include the names of candidates listed alphabetically by surname under each office(s) for which they were nominated.

Reminder notices should include date of distribution and must provide at least a 10 calendar day notice to membership.

Notice should also indicate location of the election and time for voting (i.e., Voting will take place in the auditorium from 6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.)


Preparing for Election, continued

Prepare ballot box (must be secured by Nominating Committee prior to the election)*

Prepare ballots - include instructions for voting.

Determine voter eligibility and distribute ballots. (voter eligibility is usually determined by student class roster)

Meeting notice shall inform members if candidates will make statements prior to the election. (candidate statements average one to two minutes)

When voting period ends, request volunteers from audience (excluding any candidates) to assist members of the Nominating Committee with the official count and reporting of results.

*Note: Contents of box should be verified


The Nominating Committee Will Need:

Two sign-in sheets (one for attendance, one for eligible voters/ballot distribution) and a ballot box

A school staff member to access student class rosters to determine voter eligibility prior to ballot distribution.

A black board or an easel and newsprint to officially record the count in the presence of the voting members, immediately following the election.

Volunteers from the audience to assist with the count and review of ballots after the voting has been officially closed.

A safe place, on school premises, to secure original copies of all election documentation (attendance sheets, notices, ballots, official tally sheet, etc.).

To ensure that the election is certified by principal or his/her designee.


Troubleshooting Spring PA/PTA Elections

Troubleshooting Spring PA/PTA Elections PA/PTA bylaws often require the nominations process to begin in

February or March. Nominations are usually taken from the floor and then officially closed during the April meeting. If there are PA/PTAs in the district or region that have not begun this process, written notification should be sent to the Principal or PA/PTA by the Supervisor for Parent Support to determine reasons for the delay and/or the possible need for intervention and technical assistance by the Parent Regional Team and the District/Region Presidents’ Council..


Ballots

Written ballots are required when more than one candidate is nominated for any office (contested election).

All candidates must be listed on ballots in alphabetical order, by surname, under each office for which they were nominated. To the extent possible, ballots should contain instructions in the language(s) spoken by parents in the school.

In uncontested elections no ballots are needed. Members may vote by show of hands or by acclamation to accept the slate of incoming officers.


Ceased to Function

Parent Associations/Parent-Teacher Associations cease to function when: They fail to conduct the business of their organization in

accordance with CR A-660 and their bylaws.

They fail to hold their spring election by June 30th. (Principal must convene parents for the purpose of holding an expedited election by October 15th).

Vacancies occur in the mandatory officer positions of President, Secretary and Treasurer (PA/PTA bylaws must contain language that describes a special election process or a process for filling these vacancies by succession).


Expedited PA Nominations and Election

If a PA/PTA has ceased to function for failure to conduct spring election, the Principal shall be responsible for activating the PA/PTA by October 15th. An expedited nominations and election process shall be used with the following minimum requirements:

The Principal shall request the assistance of the Regional and/or District Superintendent's office and the appropriate Presidents’ Council to help conduct the meeting.

The Principal is responsible for distributing a notice to convene the meeting (with a minimum of ten calendar days notice to parents) at which time nominations of eligible candidates shall be requested and then officially closed. Elections will be held immediately following the close of nominations.

In the event that PA vacancies occur in the mandatory officer positions of President, Secretary and Treasurer, the PA must fill these vacancies through succession of by a special expedited election process.


Alternate Methods for Selection of CDEC, CCSE or CCHS Selectors

If a school does not have a functioning PA in place sixty (60) days beforethe date set for a vote to select the members of the CDEC, CCSE or CCHS,the parent members of the School Leadership Team (SLT) will serve asthe selectors.

If more than three parent members wish to serve as selectors, three parents will be selected through a random drawing to serve as selectors for that school. The Regional Parent Supervisor will conduct the drawing.

If there is no functioning SLT, or the SLT does not have three parent members to serve as the school’s selectors, the Regional Parent Supervisor and a member of the District/Region Presidents’ Council will contact parents from a randomly ordered, computer generated list until three parents have been identified. Parents will be called in the order that their names appear on the list.


PA Officers’ Names, Home Addresses and Telephone Numbers

The PA must maintain in their files a list of officers’ names with home addresses and telephone numbers. A copy of this list must be on file with the Principal.

The Principal must send the list to the appropriate Superintendent.

The Regional Superintendent must forward a copy of the list to the Office of Parent Engagement by June 30th.


PA/PTA Nominations/Election Quiz

1. PA/PTA’s are required to have a set of bylaws that prescribes how and when elections will be conducted.

2. PAs can post flyers in their school to support PA officer candidates.

3. PA/PTA President is responsible for conducting the election.

4. If the PA cannot form a Nominating Committee, they cannot hold PA elections.

True False

True False

True False

True False



5. PAs can hold PA elections without bylaws.

6. PAs can adopt bylaws that do not conform with CR A-660.

7. In order to vote in a PA/PTA election, you must be a parent, guardian or person in parental relation to a child or children currently attending the school.

TrueFalse

TrueFalse

TrueFalse



8. Members who do not pay membership dues will not be eligible to vote or run for office.

9. If there is no PA in place, the parents cannot participate as CDEC, CCSE or CCHE selectors.

10. The PA/PTA may seek assistance in conducting an election from the appropriate Presidents’ Council.

TrueFalse

TrueFalse

TrueFalse


Resources

1. Regional/District Presidents’ Council

2. Regional Parent Support Team

3. Office of Parent Engagement


Additional “All About” CR A-660 Topics

Additional “All About” Topics will include:

Presidents’ Councils Bylaws Disciplinary Action Corrective Action Grievances


Inquiries

Additional inquiries regarding this and other “All About” presentations

may be addressed to:

Office of Parent Engagement

New York City Department of Education

49-51 Chambers Street

(212) 374-2323

OPE "All About" CR A-660 Series1 PA/PTA Nominations and Elections Nominations and Elections...

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Transcript of OPE "All About" CR A-660 Series1 PA/PTA Nominations and Elections Nominations and Elections...