John Monfredo: Have You Considered Becoming a School Council Member?

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Saturday, October 04, 2014

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

As schools complete their first month, the parents and the staff need to review the role of School Councils. The most effective schools are the ones that invite parents to become partners in the planning and development. Both groups need to work together to make certain that a quality education is taking place and that parents are part of the learning process.  Just as parents are important to their children’s success in school, schools also do better when parents are fully respected and engaged as partners with schools.

Thus, the Worcester Educational Collaborative led by Dr. Jennifer Davis Carey in partnership with the Worcester City-wide Parent School Council organization held a workshop for parents to assist them as they start their site councils at their respective schools.

The parents were reminded that the law requires that there be a school council at each public elementary, secondary and independent vocational school in the Commonwealth. The law outlines four major areas of responsibility for councils. School councils are to assist principals in the following:

• Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards

• Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school

• Reviewing the annual school building budget

• Formulating a school improvement plan

All four are essential but the most important, perhaps, is the school improvement plan. Parents do have the opportunity to review and give their input into the plan and should also evaluate the results throughout the school year. In developing the School Improvement Plan, parents can have an important impact by making sure that issues to them and their children are addressed. Areas of interest might include:

• Class size, its impact on student learning and a plan to reduce class size

• Training to help school staff work effectively with families

• Designing and implementing parent/family involvement activities

• Providing information, training and materials to help families support  their children’s education at home

• Establishing a welcoming school environment at their school

• Bullying

• School Climate and discipline

• College and career readiness

• Hosting parent workshops

Obviously, improving student performance has to be the highest priority. School Councils become effective when parents are empowered and encouraged to assist in making decisions and are active members. 

Keep in mind that school councils are advisory, but they are an influential working group to inform the principal, school district, and the school committee as to the needs of their school. Parents should be involved in civic engagement and be part of the learning process.

The legislation specifies that the council is to consist of parents of students attending the school, teachers, and other persons drawn from such groups or entities as municipal government, business and labor organizations, institutions of higher education, human service agencies or other interested groups, including those from school-age child care programs. Also, for schools containing any of grades nine to twelve, there should be at least one student on the council.

The law leaves it up to each principal to define the size and composition of the council. It is also important that the principal send out an invitation to parents to participate in the School Site Council and explain the role of the council. There are three conditions about membership:

• Parents “shall have parity with professional personnel on the school councils.” Regardless of the size of the council, the number of parent representatives must be equal to the number of teachers who serve on the council plus the principal.

• “Not more than fifty percent of the council shall be non-school members.”  “Non-school members” are defined as members who are “other than parents, teachers, students and staff at the school.”

• The membership of the school councils “should be broadly representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of the school building and the community.”

Parents should make their voice heard if they would like to be on the School Council for the law provides local leeway in the election process. It does, however, affirm the principle of peer selection:

• Parent members are to be selected by the parents of students attending the school, in elections held by the local recognized parent-teacher organization or parent group.

• Teacher members are to be selected by the teachers in the school. However, in most schools teachers either volunteer or are asked by the principal to be part of the School Council.

• The process needs to be fair, open and without the influence of the school committee, superintendent or principal.

All meetings are subject to the provisions of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, which requires councils to:

• Hold all meetings in public and allow anyone in attendance to audio and /or video tape the proceedings as long as it is not disruptive to the meeting.

•  Post a notice of each meeting with the city clerk and in a public place at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

• Keep minutes in dictating the date, time, and place members present and absent and actions taken.

•  Adhere to a quorum, which is to define as a majority of the council members.

The roles of the school site council member are many but most importantly they must be prepared to discuss the topics on the agenda and be open to other points of view. In addition, I believe it’s important that parent members report back to the Parent Group or PTO about what actions have taken place at the Site Council Meetings.           

There are many other facets to the law and you can go on line and read more. In the meantime, consider being a member of the site council for you can play an important role in shaping the education at your child’s school and become an informed parent.

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