Parents’ Roles in the Governance of Schools Parents Have Power Parents’ Roles in the Governance of Schools

Parents Have Power Governing Boards Parents’ Committee English Parents’ Committee Association Bill 105 EMSB Opportunities

Governing Boards Composition: (art. 42, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 96) Composed of no more than 20 members elected later than Sept. 30th. Equal number of parents and school staff. Two students at the high school level. GB can invite and appoint 2 community representatives (non-voting) Principals sit on GB as a resource and do not have a vote.

Governing Boards Role of Members Chairperson: elected at the first meeting from among the parent members of the GB and cannot be an employee of the school board (art. 56, 59, 63, 82) Vice-Chairperson: must meet the same criteria as chairperson. Secretary: Records the minutes of the meeting. These minutes must be available to the public at the school.

Governing Boards Responsibilities of Governing Boards (art.71-95) Governing Boards are a governing body NOT a management body. Some items of a GBs mandate are: Use of school premises Rules of conduct and safety Anti-bullying and anti-violence plan Subject-time allocations School supply lists and levy fees charged to parents Criteria for selection of principals

Parents’ Committee Composition: One parent representative from each school elected by the Annual Assembly of parents in September and one representative from the advisory committee services to handicapped students and students with social maladjustments or learning disabilities. (Art. 189-191) It is very important that these representatives and their alternates be elected at the AGA at the beginning of the year.

Parents’ Committee Role of members Beyond the chair, vice-chair, treasurer, etc, the PC will elect parent commissioners and designate parents to take part in various committees established by the school board. The Parents’ Committee will also elect members to outside committees (ie. EPCA)

Parents’ Committee Responsibilities of Parents’ Committee To inform the school board of the needs of the parents The school board must consult the PC on all matters included in Art 193 of the Education Act.

Parent Commissioners Elected for a two year term at the first PC meeting in October. Depending on the number of wards, each board has up to four parent commissioners. As of December 23rd 2016, Parent Commissioners now have voting rights at the Council of Commissioners, as well as all the same rights as Commissioners.

English Parents’ Committee Association EPCA is a grass-roots organization, established to properly represent the parents of children attending English schools. Composed of two directors from 8 English School Boards Parent Committees. In the last two years, EPCAs recognition at the government and ministry level has increased substantially. EPCA sits on Comité MEES-Partenaires and the Ministry’s: Règles budgétaires, Régime financier, Infracstructures scolaires, Ressources informationnelles, Soutinen à la mise en oeuvre de dispositions législatives  

English Parents’ Committee Association The other study groups and committees that the English Parents’ Committee Association are involved with are: The Advisory Board for English Education (ABEE) Comité Consulatif sur l’éducation à la sexualité The Conseil supérieur de l’éducation The Next School Community LEARN

Bill 105 *473.1. The budgetary rules may stipulate that certain budgetary measures are intended for a transfer to the budget of educational institutions (December 23rd , 2016) *193.2. The school board must establish a Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) composed of not more than 15 members, including the Director General. The majority of the committee members must be school principals or principals of centres. These principals of institutions shall be chosen by their peers. The person responsible for educational services for handicapped students and students with social maladjustments or learning disabilities, must also be on the committee. At the committee’s request, other members of the school board’s personnel may also take part in committee sittings, but are not entitled to vote. (July 1, 2017)

Bill 105 *209.1. In preparing its commitment-to-success plan, the school board shall consult the Parents’ Committee, the Advisory Committee for Special Education Services (ACSES) Special Needs Advisory Committee (SNAC) Special Advisory Committee (SEAC) ,the Advisory Management Committee (AMC), the Governing Boards, the teachers and other staff members, and the students. The Parents’ Committee, (ACSES, SNAC, SEAC) and AMC may make recommendations on what should be included in the school board’s commitment-to-success plan. (July 1st, 2018) *209.2. The school board shall ensure that the policies and objectives set out in the educational projects of its educational institutions are consistent with its commitment to-success plan. (July 1st, 2018) *193. The parents’ committee shall be consulted on the school board’s commitment-to-success plan; (July 1st, 2018)

Bill 105 *174. The Council of Commissioners may delegate certain functions and powers to a Governing Board or to the Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) (July 1st, 2017) *220.2. After consulting with the Parents’ Committee, every school board shall establish, by by-law, a procedure for the examination of complaints “related to its functions” (replaces “from students or their parents”). A student or parent/guardian who is dissatisfied with the handling of the complaint or with the outcome must be able to refer the complaint to a person designated by the school board as the Student Ombudsman.(July 1st, 2017) *96.14. An individualized education plan (IEP) must state that recourse to the school board’s complaint examination procedure provided for in section 220.2 is an option if the parent or student is not satisfied (July 1st, 2017)

Bill 105 *51.1. Any meeting called to elect parent or staff Governing Board members, during the month of September, may elect substitute members to the Governing Board to replace the members who are unable to take part in a Governing Board meeting. Likewise, substitute student members may be appointed or elected during the process. The number of substitute members cannot be greater than the number of governing board members. (July 1st, 2017) *190. Each year, before the first Sunday in November, the Chair of the Parents’ Committee shall call a meeting of the Parents’ Committee to elect the Chair of the Parents’ Committee. (December 23rd, 2016) *The Parents’ Committee shall may make recommendations to the school board regarding childcare provided at school among other matters already mentioned in 193. (December 23rd, 2016)

Bill 105 *148. Parent Commissioners are entitled to vote at meetings of the Council of Commissioners or of the Executive Committee, or to be appointed Vice-Chair of the school board – have the identical rights of elected or appointed Commissioners (December 23rd, 2016) *179. The Council of Commissioners shall establish an Executive Committee composed of the number of Commissioners it determines, including the chair, at least one Commissioner representing the Parents’ Committee and at least one co-opted Commissioner, if any.