Transcript PARENT ASSOCIATION NOMIATIONS AND ELECTIONS …

PA/PTA Nominations and
Elections
Nominations and Elections
Nominations Process
Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee
Ceased to Function
Expedited Elections
Alternate Process for Identifying CEC Selectors
Reporting Requirements
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Introduction
 In order to provide ongoing support and professional development to the
Regional Parent Teams, Supervisors of Parent Support, Parent Support
Officers and in turn the school based parent coordinators, the Office of Parent
Engagement (OPE) has developed an “All About” series of presentations about
a number of pertinent topics related to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (CR A660), “Parent Associations and the Schools.”
 This topic in the series is an overview of Parent Association/Parent-Teacher
Associations (PA/PTA) nominations and elections; the expedited election
process; the responsibilities of the nominating committee; steps to reactivate a
PA that has ceased to function; and reporting requirements. In addition, this
presentation also highlights a related topic – the alternate method for selecting
Community or Citywide Education Council (CEC or CCEC) selectors in the
event that the school’s PA has ceased to function.
 As always. it is the expectation of OPCE that Regional/District Parent staff
will use these presentations as a framework for developing workshops for
parent coordinators, parents and other members of the school community.
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Overview
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Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….Page 2
Overview……………………………………………………………………………….Page 3
Guidance Documents…………………………………………………….. ……………Page 4
How CR A-660 Revisions Will Impact Spring Elections?………………………...Pages 5 - 6
Nominations Process……………………………………………………………………Page 7
No Nominating Committee, No Problem……………………………………………….Page 8
Nominating Committee Responsibilities………………………………………………..Page 9
Eligibility………………………………………….……………………………............Page 10
Meeting Notices………………………………………………………………………...Page 11
Campaign Limitations, Use of School Facilities…………………………………….....Page 12
Preparing for the Election……………………………………………………… Pages 13 - 14
Nominating Committee Will Need……………………………………………………..Page 15
Troubleshooting Spring PA Elections………………….………………………............Page 16
Ballots…………………………………………………………………………………..Page 17
Ceased to Function…………………………………………………………………….. Page 18
Expedited PA Nominations and Elections……………………………………………...Page 19
Alternate Methods for Selecting CDEC, CCSE and CCHS Selectors………………….Page 20
PA Officers’ Names, Home Addresses and Telephone Numbers………………………Page 21
Quiz……………………………………………………………………………….Pages 22 – 24
Resources………………………………………………………………………………..Page 25
More “All About” CR A-660 Topics……………………………………………………Page 26
Inquiries………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27
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Guidance Documents

PA/PTA Bylaws with latest amendments

Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (CR A-660)
Note: PA/PTA bylaws must conform to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660. A PA/PTA must have duly
adopted bylaws in order to conduct any PA/PTA business, including elections.
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How Revisions to CR A-660 Will Impact PA
Elections?
 All parents, legally appointed guardians and persons in parental
relation to children attending a school are now automatically members
of the school’s PA.
 PAs can no longer include language in their bylaws that require
qualifications for any PA office.
 PA bylaws must include language that allows one vote per member.
 If PAs opt to elect *Co-Presidents they must appear on the ballot as a
team.
*Please note that when PA/PTAs opt to elect Co-Presidents, they must include language in their bylaws
regarding the selection of the designated Co-President that will serve as the SLT core member; the
representative to the district’s or region’s Presidents’ Council and/or the CDEC selector. CR A-655
requires that the remaining members of the Executive Board determine the core member of the SLT.
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How Revisions to CR A-660 Will Impact PA
Elections?
 The principal must be notified by the PA of the date and time of the
election two weeks before the second Wednesday (April 28th) of May
in each school year.
 PA elections must be completed between Monday, May 24th – Friday,
June 11th.
 PAs must develop an alternate process for selecting volunteers to
conduct the nominations and election process, in the absence of a
nominating committee.
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Nominations Process
The nominations process should be clearly defined in the PA/PTA’s bylaws.
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When bylaws require that a Nominating Committee be formed, language
must be included which explains how the Committee is established and
outlines Committee responsibilities. The majority of the members of the
Nominating Committee must be selected from the general membership.

Persons employed in the school may not serve on the Nominating
Committee.

In the absence of any bylaws requirement to form a Nominating
Committee, the bylaws must clearly define a process for conducting PA
nominations and elections.
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No Nominating Committee, No Problem
In the event that a PA cannot form a nominating committee, OPE has provided sample
language in the bylaws template (page 6) that outlines two alternate processes for
conducting PA nominations and elections:
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The executive board must communicate that the nominations and election process
outlined above will proceed under the direction of at least two members of the
association who are not running for office.
These members will be selected to serve in this role by vote of the general membership
at the March general membership meeting. They will perform the responsibilities and
adhere to the timeframe outlined in this section of the bylaws. They may also seek
assistance in conducting nominations and the election from the appropriate
region/district presidents’ council and/or the principal or his/her designee and/or the
district or regional superintendent or his/her designee.
or
If at least two members of the association who are not running for office are not/can not
be identified to conduct the nominations and election process
or
an expedited nominations and election process as outlined in Chancellor’s Regulation A660 will be conducted by the appropriate region/district presidents’ council and/or the
district or regional superintendent or his/her representative by no later than the second
Friday in June.
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Nominating Committee Responsibilities
The Nominating Committee is responsible for conducting the nominations and election
process, this will include:
1.
canvassing the membership for all eligible candidates
2.
determining and verifying the eligibility of all interested candidates
3.
preparing and distributing notices (all notices should include a distribution date)
4.
conducting all meetings that pertain to the nominations and election process
5.
officially closing all nominations
6.
notifying Principal of the date and time of the election two week before the
second Wednesday in May (April 28th)
7.
preparing ballots
8.
ensuring that only eligible members receive a ballot for voting
9.
completing election by June 11th
10.
assisting with the tallying of election results
11. reporting the results and ensuring that the election is certified by the Principal or
his/her designee
12. retaining ballots for six months or until a grievance has been determined, which
ever period is longer
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Eligibility

PA bylaws may not contain qualifications for holding PA office.

Members of the same family may not be prohibited from serving as officers,
however, they may not serve as dual signatories. (See Section I.K.3. for fiscal
restrictions.)*

The following members are not eligible to serve as an elected officer of the PA:

Community and Citywide District Education Council member(s) from
the same district with a child in the school
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staff member employed in the school (i.e., teacher, Parent Coordinator)
*These references are found in Chancellor’s Regulation A-660
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Meeting Notices
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Written notices soliciting recommendations must be widely distributed to the
membership.
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Notices should be translated in the languages spoken by parents in the school.
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Notices must be distributed to membership at least 10 calendar days before a
meeting.
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Notices should indicate the PA officer vacancies and briefly describe the roles
and responsibilities
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Notices should include the distribution date.
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Campaign Limitations, Use of Facilities and
Information Distribution

No school facilities or supplies may be used on behalf of or in support of any
candidate or of candidates. The following activities are prohibited (CR A-130):
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use of school equipment or supplies to reproduce or distribute
campaign materials (flyers, announcements, biographies, etc.)
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posting or distribution of campaign materials on school premises
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Preparing for the Election
Following the official close of nominations

Prepare and distribute reminder notices which include the names of candidates
listed alphabetically by surname under each office(s) for which they were
nominated.
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Reminder notices should include date of distribution and must provide at least a
10 calendar day notice to membership.

Notice should also indicate location of the election and time for voting (i.e.,
Voting will take place in the auditorium from 6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.)
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Preparing for Election, continued

Prepare ballot box (must be secured by Nominating Committee prior to the
election)*
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Prepare ballots - include instructions for voting.

Determine voter eligibility and distribute ballots. (voter eligibility is usually
determined by student class roster)

Meeting notice shall inform members if candidates will make statements prior to
the election. (candidate statements average one to two minutes)

When voting period ends, request volunteers from audience (excluding any
candidates) to assist members of the Nominating Committee with the official
count and reporting of results.
*Note: Contents of box should be verified
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The Nominating Committee Will Need:
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Two sign-in sheets (one for attendance, one for eligible voters/ballot
distribution) and a ballot box
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A school staff member to access student class rosters to determine voter
eligibility prior to ballot distribution.
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A black board or an easel and newsprint to officially record the count in the
presence of the voting members, immediately following the election.
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Volunteers from the audience to assist with the count and review of ballots after
the voting has been officially closed.
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A safe place, on school premises, to secure original copies of all election
documentation (attendance sheets, notices, ballots, official tally sheet, etc.).
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To ensure that the election is certified by principal or his/her designee.
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Troubleshooting Spring PA/PTA Elections
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Troubleshooting Spring PA/PTA Elections

PA/PTA bylaws often require the nominations process to begin in
February or March. Nominations are usually taken from the floor and
then officially closed during the April meeting. If there are PA/PTAs in
the district or region that have not begun this process, written
notification should be sent to the Principal or PA/PTA by the
Supervisor for Parent Support to determine reasons for the delay and/or
the possible need for intervention and technical assistance by the Parent
Regional Team and the District/Region Presidents’ Council..
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Ballots

Written ballots are required when more than one candidate is nominated for any
office (contested election).

All candidates must be listed on ballots in alphabetical order, by surname, under
each office for which they were nominated. To the extent possible, ballots should
contain instructions in the language(s) spoken by parents in the school.

In uncontested elections no ballots are needed. Members may vote by show of
hands or by acclamation to accept the slate of incoming officers.
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Ceased to Function

Parent Associations/Parent-Teacher Associations cease to function when:
 They fail to conduct the business of their organization in
accordance with CR A-660 and their bylaws.

They fail to hold their spring election by June 30th. (Principal
must convene parents for the purpose of holding an expedited
election by October 15th).

Vacancies occur in the mandatory officer positions of President,
Secretary and Treasurer (PA/PTA bylaws must contain language
that describes a special election process or a process for filling
these vacancies by succession).
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Expedited PA Nominations and Election

If a PA/PTA has ceased to function for failure to conduct spring election, the
Principal shall be responsible for activating the PA/PTA by October 15th. An
expedited nominations and election process shall be used with the following
minimum requirements:
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The Principal shall request the assistance of the Regional and/or District
Superintendent's office and the appropriate Presidents’ Council to help
conduct the meeting.
The Principal is responsible for distributing a notice to convene the
meeting (with a minimum of ten calendar days notice to parents) at which
time nominations of eligible candidates shall be requested and then
officially closed. Elections will be held immediately following the close
of nominations.
In the event that PA vacancies occur in the mandatory officer positions of
President, Secretary and Treasurer, the PA must fill these vacancies
through succession of by a special expedited election process.
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Alternate Methods for Selection of CDEC, CCSE
or CCHS Selectors
If a school does not have a functioning PA in place sixty (60) days before
the date set for a vote to select the members of the CDEC, CCSE or CCHS,
the parent members of the School Leadership Team (SLT) will serve as
the selectors.
 If more than three parent members wish to serve as selectors, three parents will
be selected through a random drawing to serve as selectors for that school.
The Regional Parent Supervisor will conduct the drawing.
 If there is no functioning SLT, or the SLT does not have three parent members
to serve as the school’s selectors, the Regional Parent Supervisor and a
member of the District/Region Presidents’ Council will contact parents from a
randomly ordered, computer generated list until three parents have been
identified. Parents will be called in the order that their names appear on the
list.
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PA Officers’ Names, Home Addresses and Telephone
Numbers
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The PA must maintain in their files a list of officers’ names with home addresses and
telephone numbers. A copy of this list must be on file with the Principal.
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The Principal must send the list to the appropriate Superintendent.
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The Regional Superintendent must forward a copy of the list to the Office of Parent
Engagement by June 30th.
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PA/PTA Nominations/Election Quiz
1. PA/PTA’s are required to have a set of bylaws that
True
False
True
False
True
False
True
False
prescribes how and when elections will be conducted.
2.
PAs can post flyers in their school to support PA officer
candidates.
3.
PA/PTA President is responsible for conducting the
election.
4.
If the PA cannot form a Nominating Committee, they
cannot hold PA elections.
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PA/PTA Nominations/Election Quiz
5. PAs can hold PA elections without bylaws.
6.
7.
PAs can adopt bylaws that do not conform with CR A660.
True
False
True
False
True
False
In order to vote in a PA/PTA election, you must be a
parent, guardian or person in parental relation to a child
or children currently attending the school.
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PA/PTA Nominations/Election Quiz
8.
Members who do not pay membership dues will not be
eligible to vote or run for office.
True
False
9.
If there is no PA in place, the parents cannot participate
as CDEC, CCSE or CCHE selectors.
True
False
10.
The PA/PTA may seek assistance in conducting an
election from the appropriate Presidents’ Council.
True
False
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Resources
1.
Regional/District Presidents’ Council
2.
Regional Parent Support Team
3.
Office of Parent Engagement
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Additional “All About” CR A-660 Topics
Additional “All About” Topics will include:
 Presidents’ Councils
 Bylaws
 Disciplinary Action
 Corrective Action
 Grievances
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Inquiries
Additional inquiries regarding this and other “All About” presentations
may be addressed to:
Office of Parent Engagement
New York City Department of Education
49-51 Chambers Street
(212) 374-2323
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