Opportunities for Families to Get Involved

By GreatSchools.net Staff

Get involved. When families are involved in education, schools and students benefit. Here are some ways you can get involved:

At the school level

Parent Associations and Parent-Teacher Associations
Joining the Parent Association (PA) is the main way to get involved at your children’s schools. The Parent Association is a body comprised of parents of students. Each PA develops its own bylaws, elects officers, and holds regular meetings. Every public school in New York City must have one. If a PA decides to include teachers in the association, members elect to become a parent-teacher association (PTA).

The PA or PTA should be representative of all parents within the school, including parents of special education students and English Language Learners, as well as students who are eligible for Title I, gifted and talented services, and magnet programs.

The PA/PTA helps parents learn about the school, share ideas, and enrich the school. The specific roles of the PA/PTA depend on the school and its members, but among its responsibilities are selecting members for the Community and Citywide Education Councils and organizing fundraisers, workshops, and family events.

The president of every PA/PTA in a Community School District is a member of the District Presidents’ Council. Presidents of high school PA/PTAs are members of borough-wide Presidents’ Councils. The presidents of each Presidents’ Council, or their designees, serve on the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC).

School Leadership Teams
Parents, teachers, and administrators work together on School Leadership Teams (SLTs) to make important decisions about their schools. The SLT’s core responsibility is developing the school’s Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) that is aligned with the school-based budget. Principals also turn to SLTs for advice when making important decisions.

Title I Parent Advisory Councils
Title I is the largest federal aid program for elementary, middle, and high schools. Schools receiving Title I funds must have a council that provides representation for parents and children on Title I related issues. The advisory councils have advisory roles in planning, developing, carrying out, and evaluating Title I programs.

At the Community School District Level

Community Education Councils
In every Community School District, there is a community education council that represents parents of pre-kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students. Each CEC is composed of twelve members, including 11 voting members, nine of whom are parents in the district and two of whom are appointed by the Borough Presidents. The final member is a non-voting high school senior appointed by the community superintendent. Together, the members of the CEC have a voice in determining educational policies in the district in which they live. They hold regular public meetings, approve changes in zoning lines, assist School Leadership Teams, evaluate the community superintendents, and advise the DOE on policies affecting their districts.

At the Citywide Level

Citywide Council for Special Education
The Citywide Council for Special Education advises the Department of Education on educational and instructional policy involving citywide special education services in District 75. The CCSE holds at least one public meeting a month for families to discuss issues facing students with disabilities. The Council also issues an annual progress report on citywide special education services and makes recommendations for improvement.

Citywide Council for High Schools
The Citywide Council for High Schools (CCHS) advises and comments on educational and instructional policies related to high schools. The CCHS holds at least one meeting per month at which families discuss issues relating to high school education. The Council also issues an annual progress report on high schools and makes recommendations for improvement.

Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council
The Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council is comprised of presidents of the district presidents’ councils or their designees. CPAC consults with the district presidents’ councils to identify concerns, trends, and policy issues, and it advises the Chancellor on DOE policies.

Panel for Educational Policy
The Mayor appoints eight of the members of the Panel for Educational Policy, including the Chancellor. Five other members are appointed by the borough presidents and must be parents of children in the New York City public schools. The panel’s responsibilities include approving standards, policies, objectives, and regulations that are directly related to educational achievement and student performance, as well as certain contracts, an estimated annual operating budget, and the DOE capital plan.

The panel holds a public meeting every month, which always includes a public comment section. Every parent can attend the monthly meeting to learn about DOE policies and express his or her opinion to the Chancellor and the other members of the panel.