CNG Personero and Cabildante Election Process, Role & Function and Student Council President Role & Function

PURPOSE FOR GUIDELINES AND RULES FOR A FAIR CAMPAIGN

The Administration established and enforces a set of fair and clean campaign guidelines among the candidates for both Personero and Cabildante. CNG wants to ensure the campaign process itself provides students with a learning experience rather than a competition. It is important that this campaign process provides CNG students from grades 3-12 with the vision that a candidate’s ideas and actions upon being elected to office will help the community create a better school. We want to ensure the campaign improves the values of candidates and the student body of CNG as well as provides candidates with the opportunity to become the leaders of today and tomorrow by positively representing the student body.

RULES FOR CAMPAIGNING - STUDENTS ON THE FINALIZED SLATE OF CANDIDATES MUST DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Once the slate of candidates is approved by the Director’s Committee and candidates have been invited to a meeting with the School Director, High School Principal, and Colombian Program Director, candidates may begin campaigning and speaking with voters. No candidates or friends/supporters of candidates may miss a class or be tardy to class or interrupt class to let others know about his/her proposals.
2. Candidates must engage in positive and respectful campaigning within the guidelines established by the School. In conversations about the school and community, it is of critical importance that candidates share their thoughts respectfully and judiciously. Under no circumstances should profanity be used. It is also important that candidates understand the work that has been done in the past by using the results of surveys for students, teachers, parents, and other community members. Our school prides itself on using this data to determine the most effective programs to implement. Speaking disrespectfully about programs or leaders in the school is not an acceptable way for candidates to campaign. It is important that all conversations about the school be respectful and bring dignity to the school and its members. We hope all candidates will help each other grow as individuals and take full advantage of this positive leadership opportunity.

3. Students will by no means engage in negative campaigning against other students in ANY manner or form. Each candidate’s campaign should represent his/her INTEGRITY as an individual. Candidates shall at all times live up to and fully meet the established Code of Conduct. The school community expects that all candidates will live up to the values of responsibility, respect, integrity, and caring, among others. Candidates shall at all times be a role model for all students.

4. Candidates will not exceed the amount of one half the Colombian minimum monthly salary when developing their campaign materials including the video. This limit on total expenditure includes posters as well as any other documents permitted as part of the campaign. Receipts for all materials purchased should be kept and submitted by all candidates to the Administration prior to the day of voting. Any donations made to campaign materials should be considered and included within this limit.

5. Absolutely NO technological tools beyond the video should be used for the purpose of campaigning, these include any type of social media such as: Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, or any other. Campaign guidelines strictly prohibit all candidates from providing candy, whistles, or other purchased, donated, or shared objects given to voters as this can be perceived as “buying” votes. Candidates should be careful in all actions and words to ensure that promises that cannot be kept are not being made to voters. The above rules are to be followed from the time the slate of candidates is announced until the voting has been completed.

6. Candidates are asked to produce a video which should be in English. Candidates may place Spanish subtitles in the video. The video should be the work of the candidate and classmates. Feedback given to the candidate by an administrator should be used to revise the video. Videos will be released to all teachers on campus grades 3-12 and shown in specified classes or times: ES (Spanish class), MS (Advisory), and HS (FLEX TIME).

7. Candidates are expected to attend and present a respectful and positive attitude at all times. Candidates shall address students with the utmost respect regardless of their grade. It is expected that all conversations candidates have about the school or about their platform will be positive, respectful, and proper. Reports of candidates using inappropriate or disrespectful language or of talking in ways that bring shame to the institution will be investigated fully. At no time will campaigning impact instructional time or the educational program. Candidates cannot be absent or tardy to classes during the time of campaigning nor can they interrupt or request teachers to give them time to campaign. 

8. While family unity is highly encouraged, the candidate should be the sole person running his/her campaign. In addition, for the purpose of the campaign or the production of the video students are not allowed to contract others. Work should be done solely by the candidate.

9. Voting for the positions will occur on an established date that is prior to the thirtieth day for classes beginning for a school year for all students in grades 3-12.

REMOVAL OF A CANDIDATE FROM BALLOT OR AN ELECTED STUDENT FROM OFFICE

A student who is participating as a Candidate or serving in an Elected Position (Personero and Cabildante) may be removed from the ballot or the position for the following reasons, according to established due-process considerations:

1. Not following the School Code of Conduct.

a. Found to have committed a serious or grave action according to the Code of Honor and Disciplinary Policy.

b. Being placed on Behavior Probation, Academic Probation, and/or Conditional Matriculation.

2. Not complying with the minimum GPA required for the position.

3. Not complying with the election process regulations.

4. Not assuming with responsibility the duties and/or obligations assigned to the position.

5. Not fulfilling the duties and expectations of their constituents through the written petition to the school Director by 1/3 of the student constituents, who consider that they are not well-represented by their duly elected representative. The petition must be clear and accurate in relation to the perceived non-conformity of the elected official.

The CNG Code of Honor specifically states this requirement for positions of leadership.

All the above referrals for inappropriate behavior of student candidates as well as of students duly elected to an official position (Personero and Cabildante) will be taken seriously. The Administration will fully investigate the allegations.

For this the following process will be used:

1. Candidates will write and submit a signed statement to the Administration regarding the allegation(s) and/or incident or event in question.

2. Parents of the Candidate will be able to add a written statement as part of the review process.

3. Depending on the specific event and the timeline of the election, the election process may be postponed or stopped due to the necessary time for fully investigating the allegations.

4. The administration will make a decision regarding appropriate consequences as stated in the Code of Honor and Disciplinary Policy, and this decision will be communicated to the student and parents within five business days following the conclusion of the investigation.

5. The Administration, should it believe the offense worthy of consideration for the student to be removed from the ballot or from office, will make a written statement and recommendation to the Administrative Council or appropriate governing body as per school governance structure within ten business days.

6. The Administration will inform the student and his/her parents of this decision within five business days of the notifying statement to the appropriate governing body.

7. If the Director’s Committee so desires it, the Candidate and/or Administration will be invited to attend the meeting and present their position on the incident and sanction. Minutes will be taken of this meeting. After deliberation, a decision will be made by the Director’s Committee (or appropriate governing body) and communicated to the involved student and parents.

8. As part of the school’s established due process, a student and/or his/her parents can appeal to the next level of the school’s established lines of authority until the appeal process reaches its conclusion. Within the appeal process, the student and/or his/her parents will have five business days to request a review of the decision at the next line of authority. The governing bodies which hear the appeal will have ten business days to respond to the appeal request.

9. If the reason for the removal of the student from the ballot or from office is an offense included in the Code of Honor and Disciplinary Policy, an additional disciplinary process may take place according to the established guidelines for Administration.

10. The School Director will meet with the student and his/her parents to inform them in the event of a final decision to remove the student as a candidate or from the duly elected position at the end of the ultimate step in due-process considerations.

11. The School Director will request the School to reconvene the election process or to hold another election process, depending upon the timing of the event.

12. In case of a candidate for Personero or Cabildante being removed from the ballot, a new election will be run with the same candidates who still meet the eligibility criteria taken from the originally approved slate of candidates from the prior election process.

13. In the case of a duly-elected Personero or Cabildante being removed from office, a new election will be run with candidacy reopened to Seniors and/or Juniors as per the election policies outlined above. In the meantime, if the other duly-elected student holding office was not involved in the finalized sanction, he/she will serve the role of both Personero and Cabildante until an election can be reconvened.