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School Council Basics

Essential Information for

School Councils

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Let’s Chat School Councils!

Regulations and Policies
Roles & Responsibilities
Bylaws and Structure
Consultation
Communications
Funds & Fundraising
PIAC

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School Council Regulations

School Councils are governed by the regulations outlined in the Ontario Education Act. Ontario Regulations 612/00 and 613/00 (2001)
School Councils should adhere to TDSB policies and procedures including:

Equity
Parent Caregiver Engagement
Community Involvement
Fundraising

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Attributes of Effective Councils

Accountability
Transparency
Inclusiveness
Communication

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What is a School Council?

A forum through which parents and other members of the school community can actively contribute to improving student achievement, school performance, and enhance accountability of the education system

“The purpose of school councils is, through the active participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance accountability of the education system to parents” (O. Reg 612/00 s2(1))

A School Council is an advisory group (O.Reg 612/00 s3.8)
A School Council may provide advice to the Principal and/or the School Board on any matter (O.Reg 612/00 s20)

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Responsibilities of a School Council

Develop bylaws and operating procedures

Bylaws: Formal documents that define the governance (standards & principles)
Operating Procedures: Describe the process for that governance (how tasks are carried out)

Record keeping & Reporting

Minutes, Annual Reports, SSON, SGFFP, PSAB

Consultation
Communication

Website, Email, Social Media

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Elections

Elections must be held within 30 days from the first school day in September
The Principal must notify the parent community 14 days before the election with details such as date, time, and location
All parents/guardians of the school may run for election

Employees of the school are not eligible to be Parent Members

Voting is done by secret ballot

Uncontested candidates are acclaimed

Executive Officers selected from the

elected Parent Members

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Bylaws and Operating Procedures

As per Reg. 612, School Council bylaws must include:

Conflict Resolution
Election Procedures & Filling Vacancies
Conflict of Interest

Your bylaws or operating procedures may include:

Code of Ethics
Number of Members & Quorum
Roles & Responsibilities of the Membership
Establishment & Roles of Sub-committees/Working Groups
Decision Making Process
Virtual Meetings
Communications & Social Media Strategy
Process for storage of and access to council minutes and other records
Amending by-laws process

TDSB Bylaw Template

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Chairs/Co-Chairs

Every School Council is required to have a Chair or two (2) Co-chairs (cannot be an employee of the TDSB)

Responsibility of the Chair(s)

Arrange and chair Council meetings
Prepare meeting agendas
Ensure minutes are recorded & maintained
Facilitate conflict resolution
Participate ex-officio on Council

sub-committees/working groups

Communicate with the Principal on behalf

of the Council (vice versa)

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Role of the Principal

Principals are required to support School Councils
Role of the Principal

Ensures the school has an elected School Council
Act as a resource on laws, regulations and Board policies
Attends School Council meetings
Ensures election is held in accordance with Ministry regulations
Distributes School Council information to the parent body
Seeks parent input on matters affecting student learning, school committees, dress code, code of conduct, SIP, EQAO results
Considers advice and provides a response to any recommendations of the School Council

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Running Effective Meetings

Set dates and post agenda in advance to encourage attendance
Use PIAC’s School Council Monthly Checklist for topics
Virtual attendance options can increase participation
Equity

Is your Council representative of your school community?
Are you providing every parent/caregiver the ability to participate in decision-making and priority setting?
Consult your Principal about the School Profile to learn about your community
Seek translation of key engagement pieces

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Running Effective Meetings

Making decisions

Consensus decision making (inclusive)
Voting process (direct)

Make your meeting worth attending

Define a meeting’s purpose and set an agenda
Send enough information in advance for people to prepare
Allow all attendees to participate
Address each item on the agenda, staying on schedule & on topic
Assign and review action items (follow-up)
Summarize decisions made to avoid misunderstandings
Finish on time and thank all for attending
Follow-up promptly with meeting minutes

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Minutes and Record Keeping

Minutes must be recorded for every meeting of Council, including sub-committees
Retain records for four (4) years and make them accessible to all parents

Hard copies stored in a file at the school office
Electronic minutes can be stored digitally on School Council/school website

Minutes should contain:

Date of the meeting
List of who attended/was absent
Brief summary of the meeting
Motions and decisions/votes of the council
Financial decisions of the council
Action and follow-up items

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Required Reporting

School Councils must submit an Annual Report on all activities (as per Reg. 612)

Principal shares this report with the parent community and with the School Board

TDSB requires:

School Statement of Needs (SSON)
Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) report
Fundraising Plan (SGFFP)

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Principal Consultation

Principals must consult with their parent community on specific areas outlined in Reg. 612
Required consultation:

Initiatives for student achievement
Initiatives for enhancing the accountability of the system
Dress code
Code of conduct
School improvement plans (SIP)
New education initiatives
School Budget priorities

TDSB Required consultation:

School Committees: Caring & Safe, Staffing (elementary), SIP

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School Council Consultation

School Councils must consult with their parent community on issues being considered by the Council

Annually

School Improvement Plan (SIP)
School Statement of Needs (SSON)
Council Budget
Fundraising Plan

Regular Review

Bylaws

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Parent Consultation

Schools are encouraged to include School Council parent representative(s) on all committees it establishes
Mandatory

School Improvement Plan (SIP)
Caring and Safe Schools
Staffing (elementary)
Budget (must support curriculum objectives)

An Opportunity to Engage!
How do we consult our school community?

Issue-based meetings with votes (direct) or consensus (inclusive)
Surveys
Listening Circles
Informal small group discussions

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School Improvement Process

School Improvement Plan prepared annually by Principal
Parent consultation is required by TDSB & Reg. 612
Identifies where students are at risk or under-achieving
All schools develop goals to address the gaps

The SIP has specific goals:

Belonging, Achieving Thriving, and Revitalization

Focus on Equity and

Truth & Reconciliation

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School Statement of Needs

Outlines what is unique about your school community
Used by the Superintendent when there is a change of administrator in your school
Completed by the School Council/parent representative and submitted to the Superintendent by October 31
Guides and templates available at torontopiac.com

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Communications

Develop a communications plan that complies with Board policies
Use a multi-platform/multi-media approach to communicate

Monthly newsletters
School Website
Social Media
Attendance at school functions
Email distribution lists
Pamphlets and flyers
Telephone trees
School Council display/notice board
Playground updates

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Communication Tools

Communications tools available to School Councils:

TDSB SC email account

Activated each year
Provides access to TDSB resources

MS Teams account

Accessed with TDSB SC email account

School Messenger

Broadcast communication to school database
Accessed with TDSB SC email account

School website

SC section on every school’s website

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School Council Funds

TDSB funds: $1.25/student ($300-$1000). Usage determined by the School Council
MoE funds: $500 for Parent Engagement to reach parents who are not accessing council/school activities. Usage determined by the School Council
School Council Innovation Grants (SCIG) - via the TDSB
TDSB Business Development Offices has researched a number of grants that councils may explore via their TDSB email account
Continuing Education parent workshop funds

School Council funds are found on school budget line GL 41500

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Fundraising

Fundraising activities must be conducted in accordance with TDSB policies and guidelines
Develop Fundraising Plan with school community input
Assets purchased with funds raised by School Council belong to the school/Board
Fundraising monies cannot be used in the delivery of curriculum or a safe learning environment

P021/PR508
Fundraising Policy and Procedure

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School Council Resources

The PIAC School Council Toolkit

Elections
By-laws and Operating Procedures
Running Effective Meetings
E-Communications
Minutes and Record-Keeping
The Role of the Principal
Funds and Fundraising
Monthly School Council Checklist

Download at torontopiac.com

Useful templates at torontopiac.com
Parent/Caregiver & Community Engagement Office (PCCEO)

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What is PIAC?

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What is PIAC?

PIAC is a Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) established by the Ministry of Education to formally advise the TDSB on parent engagement
PIAC is comprised of:

Parent volunteer representatives from the

Board’s 22 Wards

Two Co-chairs
A Trustee Representative
The Director of Education
Representatives from Community Liaison

Groups

PIAC’s work is supported by the Parent Caregiver & Community Engagement Office (PCCEO)

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How does PIAC fit within TDSB?

Recommendations

Report back

TDSB Staff &

Director

PIAC

Board of Trustees

School Principal

School Council

Recommendation

Info & Advice

Parents & Guardians

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What does PIAC Do?

Voice of parents at the TDSB
Support more effective parent engagement
Provide information and advice on parent engagement to the Board
Enhance accountability of the

education system

Offer parent input on Board policies

and procedures

Support School Councils

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PIAC Member Role

Parent liaison between Ward and PIAC:

Represent opinions of the Ward
Share PIAC information with the Ward
Share School Council best practices
Bring Ward information & concerns to PIAC
Connect with Trustee & Superintendent of the Ward

Must live in the Ward, or have a child who lives in or attends a school in the Ward they represent
Two-year membership term
For more information contact info@torontopiac.com

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PIAC Member Responsibilities

Attend monthly PIAC meetings (virtual, call-in available)

Discuss TDSB policies, procedures and initiatives, and make recommendations on parent engagement
Discuss new developments in the Provincial education system
Discuss Working Group activities
Recommend how funding should be used

for parent involvement