CNG Parent Council: PARENT COUNCIL BY LAWS

Parent Council bylaws

The Parent Council is an active, legal, organization whose members are elected by the parent community during beginning of the year open houses. This council is required by Colombian law and is designed to provide support to the administration on school development and school improvement related initiatives.

Parent Council Responsibilities

• Provide comments and suggestions regarding the analysis, diffusion and use of State exams to the Academic Council.

• Propose strategies to motivate students taking State Exams.

• Maintain open and honest communication with the Director, Board of Directors, Director’s Council and PTA, and provide accurate information t members of the school community.

• Support the arts, scientific and sports activities organized by the school.

• Review the school’s improvement plan along with the measurements of progress and objectives and provide input regarding any proposed changes to the Plan.

• Promote activities with parents which contribute to the student’s learning process.

• Promote community integration. 

• Submit proposals for changes to the Student Handbook.

• Support activities related to mental and physical health, learning disabilities, school integration and improvement of the environment.

• Submit parent proposals related to the school’s educational project.

• Elect the President and Secretary of the Parent Council for the corresponding school year at the firms Parent Council general meeting.

• Elect the Parent Council representative to the Director’s Council at the first Parent Council general meeting.

• In case of a Parent Council member resignation, appoint a new representative for the corresponding grade.

Parent Council President’s Responsibilities

• Preside and moderate all Parent Council general meetings and delegate these functions when unable to attend.

• Establish the standing committees for the current school year.

• Prepare and present the Parent Council’s Annual Report to the CNG Annual Assembly.

• Prepare and present the Parent Council’s annual evaluation and performance report to the schools administration before the end of the school year.

• Represent the Parent Council before other CNG governing bodies.

Procedure for Holding Annual PC Elections

•  A copy of the ballot is given by the the director’s assistant, to each building assistant.
• The building assistant prepares copies of the ballot  with the grade level and date.
• The day of the pc meeting the building assistant hands the ballot to parents at the entrance of the meeting. 
• Towards the end of the pc meeting the principal announces the beginning of the elections and presents the candidates names by each grade level. If a parent did not submit their name and wishes to run as a candidate, the principal may include their name in this presentation.
• Parents fill out the ballot with the name of the candidate to be elected. Only one vote per family is allowed. Elections must be held, even if there is only one candidate per grade level.
• Once the pc meeting has ended, advise parents to deposit ballots in the closed voting boxes placed outside the cafetorium.
• Votes are then counted by the director’s assistant with the presence of one witness and results are handed to the director.
• After holding all pc meetings, the director announces the results to all the community in the ccnews.
• The director´s assistant registers the results in minutes  which is then sent to the academic secretary of the school, who in turn sends them to the secretaria de educación.

Parent Council Secretary’s Responsibilities

• Request input from Parent Council members on items for the agenda for the monthly general meetings and elaborate final agenda in conjunction with school administration.

• Circulate agenda to all Parent Council members prior to the scheduled general meeting.

• Keep attendance record.

• Write general meeting minutes and circulate draft to all Parent Council members no later than a week after the general meeting has been held.

• Prepare final minutes from input received from Parent Council members and circulate to all Parent Council members prior to next general meeting. Once members have been approves, the secretary must post send them to Parent Council members, the Director, and the Assistant to the Director.

• Prepare and send monthly newsletter to parent community summarizing discussions of general meeting.

Duties of Parent Council Members

• Sign and abide by the CNG Code of Honor and the Parent Council confidentiality agreement. Any Parent Council member who does not abide by the confidentiality agreement will be asked by the President of the Parent Council to resign from the Parent Council.

• Attend at least 75% of monthly general meetings scheduled by the administration at the beginning of the school year. Parent Council members who miss more than 25% of the general meetings will not be able to run for re-election the following school year. If a Parent Council member misses three or more general meetings during the first half of the school year (October-January), the Parent Council President will ask him or her to resign. 

• Participate in at least one standing committee.

• Maintain close communication with parent community of corresponding grade.

• Moderate discussion boards or chat rooms of corresponding grade to ensure high standards of positive interaction and communication.

Duties of the Parent Council Representative to the Director’s Council 

• Attend all meetings of the Directors Council and prepare summarized report to present at the following Parent Council meeting.

• Submit to Directors Council any changes to the Student Handbook proposed by the Parent Council.

• Prepare an end- of- year report to the Parent Council.

Parent Council Guideline

Class representatives are parents who are elected by their child's class to represent them. Here are some general guidelines for class representatives:

1.  The purpose of class representatives is to act as a liaison between the teacher, the parent council and the parents of their child's class.  It is important for them to effectively convey the class activities and provide information about the parent council.

2. Class representatives are elected by the parents of their child's class, and elections take place during the Open House event.

3. Class representatives should establish and maintain transparent communication channels with the parents of their child's class. It is crucial for them to be easily reachable and approachable, actively encouraging and seeking feedback and input from the parents.

4. Class representatives should uphold the core values of the school, which define the expected conduct within our CNG community. Additionally, they should promote inclusivity, ensuring that all parents and students feel welcomed and included.

5. Class representatives should prioritize the concerns and interests of the parents in their child's class, while also considering the well-being of the school and the wider community.

6. Class representatives should be accountable for their actions and decisions. They should keep accurate records, and maintain financial transparency when handling classroom voluntary quota.

7. Class representatives should possess sufficient availability to actively participate in class activities and promptly share all relevant information.

8. Class representatives can only represent one class per year and grade level. 

9. Class representatives assume the responsibility of being the "Proyecto Vida" coordinator. It is their duty to recruit participating parents and assign specific roles for each lesson. They should also be in charge of collecting the necessary materials and picking up the key for the sessions.