Parent Associations and Parent-Teacher Associations: A Foundation for Parental Leadership

2 Session Overview – Part 1  Governance  Purpose  Eligibility  Bylaws  Meeting Structure

3 Governance StateCitySchool  New York State Education Law, Section 2590-h h  Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (CR A-660)CR A-660  Parent Associations are required to establish bylaws that conform to the requirements of CR A-660*. bylaws *Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised may serve as a reference to assist with interpreting PA bylaws.Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised

4 Purpose  Parent Associations (PAs) provide a forum through which parents can become more involved in their children’s education. To achieve this goal, PAs may engage in the following activities:  Conduct outreach to determine members’ needs and interests.  FACE Tip: Establish multiple communication systems such as newsletters, e- mail distribution lists, websites, and phone trees to ensure regular contact with members.  Plan activities designed to attract and recruit parents to take part in a robust parent involvement program at the school.  FACE Tip: Incorporate professional development opportunities into general membership meetings (e.g., invite guest speakers).  Surface parent concerns and work with school staff to identify appropriate solutions.

5 Purpose  Parent Associations (PAs) provide a forum through which parents can become more involved in their children’s education. To achieve this goal, PAs may engage in the following activities:  Provide parents with access to available educational resources and information.  FACE TIP: If space permits, work with the parent coordinator to establish a family resource area within the school for sharing information and materials with members.  Conduct fundraising activities to benefit the educational, social and cultural programs in the school.  Identify community-based organizations and other external partners that provide services parents need.  FACE TIP: Survey parents to find out which organizations they depend on or trust to begin building a database of reliable partners.

6 Eligibility  A parent of a student on a school’s register is automatically a member of the school’s PA. There is no need to join the PA.  Parent is defined as birth or adoption parent, step-parent, legally appointed guardian, foster parent, and “person in parental relation” to a child currently attending a school.  A “person in parental relation” is someone who has assumed the care of a child because the child’s parents or guardians are not available, whether due to, among other things, death, imprisonment, mental illness, living outside the state, or abandonment of the child.  Eligible parents may not be excluded or removed from the PA.  Payment of dues may not be used a condition for membership or running for PA office.

7 Eligibility  PA members may vote to amend the association’s bylaws to extend membership to staff. PAs that vote to include school staff become Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs).  Only parent members may vote to change the association’s structure.  The bylaws may be amended to extend membership to categories of staff in addition to teachers (e.g., paraprofessionals, school aides, school secretaries, and food service workers).  School supervisory staff may not be members of the PA/PTA in the school in which they are employed.  School employees may not serve as members of the executive board or the nominating committee of the school’s PA/PTA.

8 Bylaws  PAs/PTAs must adopt a set of bylaws by a vote of the parent members. Bylaws should be amended as needed, but must conform to the requirements of CR A-660.bylaws  Amendments that bring the bylaws into compliance must be voted on immediately after the motion is presented.  In the absence of bylaws that conform to the election and fundraising requirements of CR A-660, the PA/PTA may not conduct any activities, including elections and fundraisers.  Bylaws give the association structure and delineate the rights of the general membership.  Bylaws provide clear procedures to ensure consistency and efficiency.

9 Bylaws  PA/PTA members should regularly review the bylaws. Consider these guiding questions: 1.Does the PA/PTA have bylaws?  If a copy cannot be located, new bylaws must be created. 2.What do the bylaws say?  Read and understand them. If the bylaws do not reflect how the association actually operates, it may be time for a revision. 3.How are the bylaws formatted?  If only a hard copy is available, identify a volunteer to type them so the bylaws can be shared and updated electronically. 4.How old are the bylaws?  CR A-660 requires PAs to review the bylaws every three years or upon revision of the Regulation.

10 Meeting Structure  The PA/PTA must hold at least 9 monthly meetings of the general membership.  PA/PTA meetings must be nonexclusive and open to the public.  The association’s bylaws should indicate the regular day and time when monthly meetings are to be held (e.g., last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.).  FACE Tip: Be consistent. Send a calendar of meetings out at the beginning of the year. Deviations from the regular meeting schedule should be limited (e.g., to accommodate holidays or school breaks).  All association meetings must be held in the school.  All PA/PTAs are entitled to 110 hours of free building use.

11 Meeting Structure  Unless otherwise indicated CR A-660 or the association’s bylaws, meetings must proceed according to Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised.  FACE Tip: Check out the Robert’s Rules FAQs for answers to common parliamentary procedure questions.FAQs  Special Membership Meetings:  The bylaws may specify the process by which a special membership meeting may be convened.  Special membership meetings must only be held to address a matter of importance that cannot be postponed until the next general membership meeting.

12 Session Overview – Part 2  Executive Board  Myth or Fact  Best Practices  Support and Resources