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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 PIC ByLaws By-Laws and Standing Rules Parent Involvement Committee BEING the rules governing the establishment and composition of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) Parent Involvement Committee under the Regulation 330/10 School Councils and Parent Involvement Committee of the Education Act of Ontario, which rules shall apply to the structure and proceedings of the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC), henceforth known as the Committee, from 1 October 2011, unless or until amended by resolution of the Committee. Interpretation In these by-laws and standing rules: Community Representative means a resident of the City of Ottawa who has an interest in supporting public education and who has been appointed to the Committee; Director means the Director of Education/Secretary of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the OCDSB; District means the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board; Parent means a parent/guardian of a pupil who is enrolled in a school of the OCDSB; and Parent Member means a Parent who is appointed to serve on the committee for a specified term. Mandate 1.0 The mandate of the Committee is to support, encourage and enhance parent engagement at the District level in order to improve student achievement and well-being. Purpose 2.0 The Committee will achieve its purpose by: a) providing information, advice and recommendations on parent engagement to the Board of Trustees; b) communicating with and supporting school councils; and c) undertaking activities and working with partners and agencies to help parents of pupils of the OCDSB to support their children’s learning at home and at school. 2.1 The Committee shall: a) develop strategies and initiatives that the Board of Trustees and the Director of Education could use to effectively communicate with parents and to effectively engage parents in improving student achievement and well-being; b) advise the Board of Trustees and the Director of Education on the use of strategies and initiatives, as referred to above, that could support engaging parents and improve student achievement and well-being; c) communicate information from the Ontario Ministry of Education to school councils and parents of pupils of the District; d) work with school councils and parents of students of the OCDSB and may work with partner agencies and, through the Director of Education, with employees of the District to: (i) share effective practices to help engage parents, especially parents who may find engagement challenging, in their children’s learning; (ii) identify and reduce barriers to parent engagement; (iii) help ensure that OCDSB schools create a welcoming environment for parents of its pupils; and (iv) develop skills and acquire knowledge that will assist the Committee and school councils of the District with their work. e) determine, in consultation with the Director of Education and in keeping with the OCDSB’s policies, how funding, if any, provided under the Education Act for parent involvement, is to be used. 2.2 The Committee may solicit and take into consideration the advice of parents of pupils enrolled in schools of the District with regard to matters under consideration by the Committee. Membership 3.0 The Committee shall be comprised of up to 18 members, a majority of whom shall be Parent Members, including: a) thirteen (13) voting members; and b) up to five (5) non-voting members 3.1 Voting members shall include: a) ten (10) Parent Members; and b) three (3) Community Representatives. 3.2 Non-voting members shall include: a) the Director of Education or designate; and b) One (1) trustee appointed by the Board of Trustees. Non-voting members may include: a) One (1) elementary or secondary principal or vice-principal; b) One (1) elementary or secondary teacher; and c) One (1) employee of the District, other than a principal, vice principal or teacher. 3.3 The Director of Education of the OCDSB may: a) delegate any of his or her powers or duties as a member of the Committee to a supervisory officer employed by the District, and; b) designate a supervisory officer of the board to attend a meeting of the Committee in his or her place. 3.4 The Trustee member may: a) delegate any of his or her powers or duties as a member of the Committee to the alternate trustee member appointed by the Board of Trustees; and b) if unable to attend a meeting, have the alternate trustee attend that meeting of the Committee in his or her place. Notwithstanding the above, the Trustee member may delegate his or her powers or duties to another member of the Board of Trustees where the alternate trustee member is not able to attend. 3.5 Employees of the OCDSB are eligible for appointment to the position of Parent Member but not to the position of Community Representative. Where an employee is appointed as a Parent Member he or she shall at his or her first Committee meeting, inform the Committee of his or her employment with the OCDSB. 3.6 Members of the Board of Trustees are not eligible to be a Community Representative or a Parent Member of the Committee. Membership Criteria 4.0 All members are expected to have a strong interest in and commitment to public education, student achievement and well-being and be able to represent the views of a wide variety of parents. a) Eight (8) Parent Members shall be selected based on their knowledge, skills, and experiences in one or more of the following areas: (i) public education; (ii) community engagement; (iii) equity and inclusion strategies; and (iv) public policy and/or communications. b) Two (2) Parent Members shall be appointed as representatives from the following groups/organizations: (i) two (2) Parent Members named by the Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Council (OCASC); one (1) of who may be the Chair or Vice-Chair of the OCASC. 4.1 Community Representatives shall be selected based on their ability to provide a broad community based perspective and must meet one or more of the following criteria: a) demonstrated connection to and/or knowledge of the OCDSB; b) active participation in a community group, organization or business that has as part of its mandate an interest in education, community development or social service; c) interest in and/or ability to link the OCDSB school community with external community groups or organizations; d) ability to represent broad societal or community perspectives; and e) experience or demonstrated interest in educational issues. 4.2 The Committee may invite representatives of District committees, including but not limited to: Standing Committees (e.g. Human Resources, Education, Business, Strategic Planning and Priorities Committee), Statutory Committees (e.g.: SEAC, Audit and SALEP) or Advisory Committees (e.g., Arts Advisory) to attend meetings (as necessary) to provide expertise on those particular topics or issues related to the work of the Statutory, Standing or Advisory Committee. Term of Office 5.0 The members of the Committee shall be appointed before November 15 of each school year for a term of office beginning December 01 and ending November 30. 5.1 Parent Members of the Committee shall be appointed to serve a term of office of either one (1) or two (2) years. 5.2 The term of office for Community Representatives shall be one (1) or two (2) years. 5.3 The term of office for the Board member and alternate Board member shall be determined by the Board. 5.4 A member of the Committee may be re-appointed to the Committee for more than one term subject to the Committee’s appointment process. Appointments of Members 6.0 Annually the Committee shall review its membership needs and create a Membership Sub-Committee which shall include the Chair, Vice Chair, the Director of Education, or designate, a Parent Member and may include a Community Representative. 6.1 The Membership Sub-Committee shall annually post a notice inviting applications for appointment to the position of Parent Member. 6.2 The posting of notice shall be done through a variety of methods to ensure awareness of the application process by the entire jurisdiction of the District. The notice shall include: a) a summary of the position, including the term of office of the appointment; b) the process for making an application; c) the deadline for the application; and d) the name and contact information of the person(s) responsible for managind the process. 6.3 All applicants will be required to provide: a) a written expression of interest outlining his or her interest in public education as well as his or her knowledge and skills in one or more of the areas noted in s. 4.0 (a) of these by-laws; b) in the case of Parent Members, written confirmation that he or she is a parent of a pupil enrolled in an OCDSB school; c) Upon the close of the application period the Membership Sub- Committee shall review the applications and shall prepare a list of recommended candidates for the consideration by the Committee; and d) An indication of his or her interest is serving a one (1) or two (2) year term. 6.4 Prior to the recommendation(s), the Membership Sub-Committee may choose to interview prospective candidates and/or request and check references. 6.5 In making the recommendation(s) the Membership Sub-Committee shall take into consideration: a) the knowledge, skills and experience of the current Committee membership; b) the knowledge, skills and experience of the applicants; c) the balance of elementary and secondary perspectives on the Committee; d) the geographic representation of urban, suburban and rural perspectives from across the District; e) the unique needs to parents of special education students; and f) the knowledge and ability to add the perspective of diverse communities as referenced in Policy P.098.CUR Equity and Inclusive Education. The membership Sub-Committee shall submit a recommendation to the Committee which shall include the names of the recommended candidate(s) and the term of office for the appointment(s). 6.6 For the two (2) Parent Members who are representatives of OCASC, the Membership Sub-Committee shall send a letter to the Chair of OCASC seeking the name of appointees. 6.7 The letter shall include: a) a summary of the position, including term of office; b) the requirement for the appointee to be a parent of a pupil enrolled in an OCDSB school; c) the timeline for response; and d) the name and contact information of the person for managing the process. The Membership Sub-Committee shall provide the names of the Parent Member representatives of OCASC to the Committee for ratification. 6.8 The Membership Sub-Committee shall use the same process for the selection and recommendation of Community Representatives as that outlined in these by-laws for the Parent Members. Wherever possible, the Community Representatives should also be a parent of a pupil enrolled in a school of the OCDSB. 6.9 The Committee will consider the recommendations of the Membership Sub- Committee and shall make the appointments by way of secret ballot. Following the election, the Committee shall affirm the appointees and the ballots shall be destroyed. 6.10 An appointment to the Committee is of no effect unless the person agrees to the appointment. 6.11 The Committee shall elect a Chair and a Vice Chair from amongst its members. 6.12 The Chair and Vice Chair shall be Parent Members of the Committee who have been appointed to serve a two-year term. Where a nominee to the office of Chair is a member serving a one year term, his or her term may be extended for a second year and on appointment he or she shall be deemed to be a member with a two (2) year term. 6.14 A member may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms as Chair. 6.15 An individual who has served one (1) term or two (2) consecutive terms as Chair of the Committee may be re-elected as Chair provided at least one two-year term has elapsed since his or her last term as Chair. Vacancies 7.0 A vacancy in the membership of the Committee does not prevent the Committee from exercising its authority. 7.1 In the event that a Parent Member or Community Representative appointed to the Committee vacates his or her position during the appointed term, the Committee may appoint another individual to the position for the remainder of the term. 7.2 Vacancies in positions will be advertised. Methods of advertising may include, but are not limited to: a) advertisements in newsletters of District schools or school councils; b) advertisements in newspapers with general circulation in the geographic jurisdiction of the District; c) advertisements on radio or television stations that broadcast in the geographic jurisdiction of the District; d) notices in schools of the District; and e) notices on the OCDSB’s website and where possible on District schools websites. 7.3 Where there is a vacancy in the position of Chair or Vice Chair, the Committee shall elect from amongst the Parent Members. 7.4 Individuals appointed as a result of a vacancy shall hold the position until the original term for that position expires. Roles and Responsibilities of Members 8.0 All members of the Committee shall: a) promote and encourage parent engagement and the work of the Committee in the OCDSB; b) review all relevant material prior to the Committee meetings; c) attend and participate in the Committee meetings; and d) participate in Committee and Sub-Committee initiatives as required. 8.1 In addition to the above, a Community Representative and/or a Parent Member who is a representative of OCASC shall act as a liaison between the Committee and his or her community group, organization or committee. 8.2 The Chair shall: a) plan the agenda in collaboration with the Director; b) chair the Committee meetings; c) act as a spokesperson for the Committee in communicating with the Director of Education, the Board and the public; and d) ensure that notice of each meeting is provided to all members of the Committee. 8.3 The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the event the Chair is unavailable. Meetings 9.0 The Committee shall meet at least six (6) times in each school year. 9.1 All meetings of the Committee will be open to the public, except in accordance with s. 207 of the Education Act, and be held at a location that is accessible to the public. 9.2 The first Committee meeting of the term shall not be held until after the appointments for the term have been made. 9.3 Notice of each meeting shall be deemed to be provided to all members of the Committee at least five (5) days before the meeting. Notice may be provided to each member by e-mail or regular mail; by telephone call; and by posting to the District website. Notice by regular mail is deemed to be provided five (5) days before the meeting if it is mailed five (5) days before the meeting. 9.4 A meeting of the Committee cannot be held unless: a) a majority of the members present at the meeting are Parent Members; b) the Director of Education, or designate, is present; and c) the Trustee, or designate, is present. 9.5 Committee members are expected to attend all Committee meetings. A member who participates in the meeting through electronic means shall be deemed to be present. 9.6 Additional employees of the District, as determined on an as needed basis, may be invited to attend, participate, and act as a resource to the Committee in a non-voting capacity. 9.7 The rules of order for the conduct of meetings of the Committee shall follow these by-laws. In any situation for which there is no specific provision in these by-laws, the OCDSB By-Laws and Standing Rules shall apply for matters of interpretation, the Committee shall adopt as its parliamentary authority the latest edition of Procedures for Meetings and Organizations by M. K. Kerr and H. W. King, Carswell Legal Publications, Toronto. 9.8 Wherever possible, the Committee shall conduct its business through a collaborative decision making process. 9.9 When the Committee votes on a matter, only Parent Members and Community Representatives are entitled to vote. 9.10 In the event of a tie, the motion is defeated. Sub-Committees 10.0 The Committee may, as it deems necessary, create sub-committees to make recommendations to the Committee. The sub-committees must include at least one (1) Parent Member of the Committee and may include non-members. Professional Conduct 11.0 Members of the Committee have a duty to make decisions consistent with Ministry and District policies and procedures in the best interests of students in compliance with the requirements of relevant legislation and regulations. 11.1 Members will not act in order to gain financial or other material benefit personally. 11.2 Members will respect the privacy of individuals in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). When meeting, members shall not discuss personal information relating to parents, students, school boards/trustees, or other personnel or council members. 11.3 In the event of a conflict between members, the Chair or designate will make every effort to resolve the dispute by mediation. Minutes and Financial Records 12.0 The Committee will keep minutes of all of its meetings and records of all of its financial transactions, if any, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the District. 12.1 The minutes of the Committee’s meetings and the records of its financial transactions will be available for examination at the Administration Building by any person in accordance with the records retention schedule. 12.2 The minutes of the Committee will be posted on the OCDSB website and will be sent electronically to the chair of each school council. The minutes posted on the website will remain on the website for four years. 12.3 A person shall not receive any remuneration for serving as a member of the Committee with the exception of an honorarium for a member of the Board of Trustees as stipulated in section 191 of the Education Act. 12.4 Committee members may be reimbursed for incidental expenses incurred as a result of their work on the Committee. Invoices for expenses related to his or her role shall be submitted and reimbursed in accordance with the financial policies of the OCDSB. Summary of Activities 13.0 The Committee will annually submit a written summary of the Committee’s activities to the Board of Trustees and to the Director of Education. 13.1 The summary of activities shall include a report on how funding, if any, provided under the Education Act for parent involvement was spent. 13.2 The Director of Education will provide the summary of activities to the school councils and post the summary of activities on the District website. Amendments to By-Laws and Standing Rules 14.0 These by-laws and Standing Rules may be amended only by approval of two-thirds (2/3) of all voting members present, at a regular or special meeting of the Committee, provided that advance notice in writing has been given to all Committee members. Approved by the Parent Involvement Committee: 09 November 2011