Bylaws Committee - Chair Mary Silver
The Bylaws Committee plans to review the council’s current bylaws to make recommendations to the 2007-2008 Council, and to ensure that the Council’s bylaws accurately reflect the most recent Office of Parent Engagement’s “Guide for Education Council’s Bylaws.” This guide states, under Article VIII Amendment of Bylaws: “Consistent with law, policy and regulations governing Community and Citywide Education Councils and the Department of Education, bylaws are amendable.”
As a consequence of the committee’s initial review of the bylaws, Ms. Silver made a motion to the council to amend Article V of the Bylaws as follows:
The Council may create ad hoc and standing committees as it, in its sole discretion, may determine. Committee Chairs and their members shall be appointed and removed by the President with the approval of the Council. The Chair of the Committee must be a member of the Community Education Council. They shall serve through June 30th or until their successors have been selected.
At the April 25th meeting, the motion did not carry on a vote of 3 for and 5 opposed.
The committee will continue to identify sections within the current bylaws that are not currently in compliance with Office of Parent Engagement’s “Guide for Education Council’s Bylaws.”
Bylaw Committee Minutes
M. Silver opened the meeting by stating that the Bylaws of Community Education Council District 2 (CECD2) as posted on the CECD2 website do not indicate when they were passed. She also stated they are not signed by the secretary, but should be if that is a requirement.
M.Silver asked R. Daniels if she was aware if the council had reviewed the bylaws since they were originally based. R. Daniels indicated that to her knowledge they had not been reviewed during her two-year tenure on the council.
M. Silver indicated that the council’s bylaws should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they reflect the needs of the council and the district 2 community. She suggested that the bylaws committee members should review the existing bylaws with the objective of making recommendations for the 2007-2008 Community Education Council for District 2. Each bylaws committee member was asked to review the current bylaws and to provide a one-page brief summary of those sections of the bylaws which warrant our review and consideration. M. Silver submitted the following for the committee’s consideration and review: (1) consider a comprehensive review of all bylaws (committee members will divide up bylaws articles & sections among committee members for review); (2) Article II: Officers and Elections: consider term limits for officers (maximum two consecutive years); (3) Article II, Section 5. Disciplinary Action: Consider clarification of the “investigating of charges” and grievance procedures; and (4) Article II, Section 6. Absences: consider clarification of valid excuses for absences, e.g., if one’s work by definition precludes attendance at council meetings due to travel or other constraints, does a council member vacate his/her office by refusal to serve (Education Law 2590-c)?; (5) Article III, Section 3. Calendar Meetings: consider holding one calendar meeting per month; consider holding one mandatory committee meeting every month; (6) consider defining standing committees and flush out their roles and responsibilities.
R. Daniels made the following suggestions with respect to bylaws: (1) consider making the bylaws committee a standing committee, so they will be reviewed regularly with the full council ensuring that new and existing council members are familiar with them ; (2) consider attaching the bylaws committee to the 1st or 2nd Vice President’s duties, with an education component; (3) consider changing bylaws to allow for co-presidents of the council; (4) consider clarification of email meeting etiquette (through protocol education); consider a mandatory response requirement with respect to special meetings, drafts of council documents; (5) consider posting minutes chronologically and in a timely manner (bylaws now indicate minutes are to be available within 2 weeks of a meeting); (6) consider what constitutes “attending a meeting,” i.e., review absences, latenesses, how much of a meeting must one attend to be in attendance and compliance.’ (7) under Article III-Meetings, Section 5. Special Meetings, consider that any special meetings called require clarification of subject matter of special meeting. R. Daniels suggested that motions and resolutions must be available and posted, even if the generation of minutes are delayed.
D. Sanchez made the following suggestions with respect to the bylaws: (1) consider Article II, Section 5. Disciplinary Action with respect to taking grievances to mediation relying on a DOE service , if available; (2) consider under Article 11, Section 6. Absences, clearly establishing that if one knowingly cannot commit to council attendance requirements then one is precluded from council membership by definition; (3) under Article IV-Conducting of Business at Meetings, Section 5. Minutes, consider making the audiotape of each meeting available within two weeks of a meeting for posting on the website.
M. Silver stated that the bylaws committee would benefit from having copies of bylaws from all cec’s citywide. M. Silver also stated she would get a copy of Community Board 6’s bylaws, since they have one monthly mandatory meeting and one mandatory committees’ meeting.
Prior to adjourning the meeting, M. Silver stated that she welcomed and encouraged P. Walsh’s recommendations for the 2007-08 CECD2 members.