Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

6151 Doral Middle School - CLOSED

The bylaws for this school were last modified on Sep. 22, 2009.

The bylaws are as follows:

EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS

A. PURPOSE
The purpose of Doral Middle School Educational Excellence School Advisory Council is to work to ensure school improvement, professional collaboration, and authentic representation in decision-making. We will accomplish our goals by preparing and monitoring the Educational Excellence Plan as required by the Blueprint 2000.

B. COUNCIL MEMBERS
1. Composition
The Doral Middle School Educational Excellence School Advisory Council shall be made up of 6 teachers, minimum of 5 parents (7 maximum), 2 students, 2 education support employee, minimum of 1 business/community representative (2 maximum), the UTD steward, and the principal. With the exception of the principal and the business/community representatives, all other members shall be elected by their constituent groups. Teachers, parents, students, and education support employees shall also elect alternate representatives for each council member. The Council will be representative of the ethnic, racial, linguistic, disabled and economic community served by Doral Middle School.

2. Eligibility
All teachers, student service personnel, and the media specialist employed by the school are eligible to be elected teacher representative to the Council. All other persons employed by the school, including para-professionsals, non-instructional and non-administrative personnel who work at least 20 hours in a normal week are eligible to be elected as the education support employee representative. All parents, guardians or significant others responsible for a child enrolled in Doral Middle School are eligible to be elected as parent representatives and/or students. All students at Doral Middle School are eligible to be elected as student representatives. The PTSA President is a named member of the EESAC.

3. Terms
The term of office for each representative group are as follows:

a. Teacher and education support representatives and alternates will run concurrently with the teacher contract – 3 years. Should a vacancy occur prior to the term of office expiring an election will be held at a posted meeting.
b. Parent representatives and alternates will be elected for 1 year, with an opportunity for re-election. An annual election of parent representatives and alternates will be held at a special Parent meeting at the beginning of each school year.
c. Student representatives and alternates will be elected for 1 year with an annual election at the beginning of each school year. Student nominees will be elected by individual team vote. Nominees will be placed on ballots, per grade level, and the first and second place winners for each grade level will be the student representatives and alternates respectively.
d. Community/ Business representatives and alternates will be reviewed and appointed annually by the Principal.
e. EESAC chairperson will be elected among its members for a period of one year, with an opportunity for re-election.

4. Responsibilities
Council members are expected to:
a. attend all regular and special meetings. Unexcused absence from two (2) consecutive meetings will be deemed as a resignation. The member shall be replaced following election procedures as stated in these bylaws.
b. Communicate with constituents to collect data and opinions for decision making, e.g., PTSA, faculty meetings, EESAC newsletter.
c. Consider the needs of all students when making decisions.


C. ELECTION PROCESS

Teacher elections will be conducted by the Designated Building Steward during a noticed faculty meeting. The notice of the faculty meeting will state that a purpose of the meeting is to elect teacher representatives to the school’s Educational Excellence School Advisory Council. Nominations for the vacant positions can be taken from the floor. All teachers, media specialists and counselors are eligible to be nominated for the EESAC and to vote on those nominated.

Parent elections shall be conducted by the Principal and the EESAC chairperson. Parents and Guardians are eligible to be nominated and to vote in the elections held at the first Parent meeting annually. It is suggested that nominated individuals be given an opportunity to state why they would like to serve on the EESAC.

Education support employee elections shall be conducted by the Principal and the Designated Building Steward. Any person employed by the school that is not defined as instructional or administrative and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each week shall be eligible to be nominated and to vote in the elections.

Student elections shall be conducted by the Student Government Sponsor and EESAC chairperson. Student nominees will be selected by student vote. Nominees will be placed on ballots, per grade level, and the first and second place winners for each grade level will be the student representatives and alternates respectively.

The school shall give proper notice of the election of council members in accordance with the State of Florida’s Sunshine Law. The school shall also make its best effor to hold elections for each constituent group during hours that are convenient for each group.

In the event any member is unable to fulfill the terms of office, the alternate for that position will assume said position for the remainder of the term and new alternate will be elected.

D. MEETINGS

1. Regular Meetings
The regular meetings of the Council will be held on the last Thursday of each month. The meetings will be held in the Media Center at 8:00 a.m., unless otherwise notified. All meetings shall be held at a time that is convenient to parents, students, teachers, and business/community representatives.

2. Special Meetings
In the event a special meeting is needed, the Principal, Chairperson, or a majority of Council members may call a meeting.

3. Cancellation
The Council may cancel a regular meeting by majority vote.

All meetings shall be open to the public and shall not be held in any facility or location which discriminates on the basis of sex, age, race, creed, color, origin, or economic status or which operates in such a manner as to unreasonably restrict access to such a facility.

E. QUORUM
In order for the Council to conduct business, a quorum of the voting members must be present. A majority of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. The majority must include both teacher and parent representatives.

F. AGENDA
1. The chairperson shall prepare and distribute the agenda for all regular and special meetings.
2. Adding to the Agenda
a. Council members may add items to any regular meeting agenda by contacting the chairperson one week in advance.
b. Non-Council members may propose an agenda item by contacting a Council member.
c. The agenda may be amended at the meeting by majority vote of the Council members.
d. All EESAC members must receive at least 3-days' advance notice in writing of any matter that is scheduled to come before the Council for a vote.

G. CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING

Consensus shall be the primary method of decision making.

H. MINUTES
Written minutes of each regular and special meeting shall be kept as an open permanent record of the activities of the Council. The minutes shall include the names of those in attendance and any actions taken by the Council. The Minutes shall be approved at the next regular meeting of the Council, and an official copy kept on file in the main office. In addition, a copy of the minutes of every meeting as of July 1, 2002, will be posted electronically by the school on the Internet.

I. INPUT FROM NON-COUNCIL MEMBERS
Those who are in attendance at the Council meetings shall be provided an opportunity to address an issue once all agenda items have been completed, for a maximum of three (3) minutes provided time allows.

J. COUNCIL OFFICERS
Officers will be selected by the Council at the first regular meeting following the scheduled annual elections for students and parents. The Council members will elect a chairperson, an alternate chairperson, and a recording secretary to serve for a one (1) year term with opportunity for re-election. At least one (1) parent must be elected to serve as a Council officer; the other positions are at large.

K. BUDGET
Copies of the entire school budget will be provided to all members. THe location of the FR05-08 will be available. Budget training will be provided to all EESAC members by the Principal and the school's treasurer. The EESAC portion of the budget will be spent on programs and projects selected by the EESAC. Projects will not include capital improvements or projects that have a duration of more than one year. Budget decisions will be reflected in the EESAC minutes.