Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

5381 E. W. F. Stirrup Elementary School

The bylaws for this school were last modified on Oct. 10, 2023.

The bylaws are as follows:

E.W.F. STIRRUP ELEMENTARY
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE SCHOOL ADVISORY
COUNCIL

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of the E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary Educational Excellence School
Advisory Council is to work together to ensure improved student achievement.
One of the ways the council will do this is by preparing and evaluating the Performance Excellence Plan as required by Blueprint 2000.

II. COUNCIL MEMBERS

A. Composition

The E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary Educational Excellent School Advisory Council shall be made up of Stirrup’s principal, the building steward, 5 teachers, 6 parents, 1 student, 1 educational support employee and 2 business/community representative.

B. Eligibility

All teachers, student service personnel, and the media specialist employed by the school are eligible to be elected teacher representatives to the Council. All other persons employed by the school, including paraprofessionals, and those who are defined as instructional or administrative personnel and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each normal working week are eligible to be elected as an education support employee representative. All parents, guardians or significant others responsible for a child enrolled in E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary School are eligible to be elected as parent representatives.

C. Terms

The terms of office shall begin and end, with the three-year period, which coincided with the current three-year teacher’s contract.

D. Responsibilities

Council members are expected to ensure the continued existence of participatory,
consensus-building processes on all issues related to the school’s instructional
program and which are in support of the goals of Stirrup’s School Improvement Plan. Such issues may include, but not be limited to, curriculum, budget, discipline and professional development.

III. ELECTION PROCESS

E.W.F. Stirrup shall give proper notice of the election of council members in accordance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law. E.W.F. Stirrup shall also make its best effort to hold elections for each constituent group during hours that are convenient for that constituent group.

A. Teachers

The teacher representative to the Council must be determined through an election in which all teachers have an opportunity to participate. A faculty meeting is called for this purpose. The faculty is informed that nominations from the floor are in order for 5 teacher members to the Council and 1 alternate. At least 6 nominations should be proposed. The teachers then vote by secret ballot. The 5 teachers with the most votes become the Council members. The 6th one, when arranged from most votes to least,
becomes the alternate.

B. Parents

Six parent representatives and 1 alternate to the Council must be determined through an election in which all parents have an opportunity to participate. A parent meeting is called for this purpose. The parents are informed that nominations from the floor are in order for 6 parent members to the Council and 1 alternate. At least 7 nominations should be proposed. The parents then vote by secret ballot. The 6 parents with the most votes become the Council members. The 7th one, when arranged from most votes to least, becomes the alternate.

C. Education Support Employee

The education support employee and the alternate to the Council must be determined through an election process in which all education support employees have an opportunity to participate. A meeting is called for this purpose. The education support employees are informed that nominations from the floor are in order for 1 education support employee and 1 alternate. At least 2 nominations should be proposed. The education support employee then vote by secret ballot. The 1 education support employee with the most votes becomes the Council member. The 2nd one, when arranged from most votes to least, becomes the alternate.

D. Student

All students in the third or fourth grade will be given an opportunity to elect their representative to the Council for the next year. Each third or fourth grade class in the month of May, beginning with May 1998, shall nominate 2 students per class. A ballot with the names will be given to all fourth grade students. Voting will take place. The student with the most votes will be the representative to the Council, and the student with the second most votes will be alternate.

E. Chairperson

During the first meeting of the newly elected Educational Excellence School Advisory Council, the council members shall elect a chairperson.

IV. MEETINGS

A. Regular meetings

All meetings will be held at a time that is convenient to parents, students, teachers, and business/community representatives. The regular meetings will be held on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of a designated month, alternating between 7:30am or 3:15pm on Tuesday and Thursday or 2:15pm on Wednesday start times, and with a minimum of four meetings a year. 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.

B. Special Meetings

In the event a special meeting is needed, the principal, chairperson or majority of Council members may call a meeting.

C. Cancellation

A regular Council meeting may be cancelled by the consensus of the Council at least 24 hours prior to such a meeting.


D. Members

Any member who has two consecutive unexcused absences from Council meetings shall be considered to have resigned. The member shall be replaced following election/selection procedures as stated in these bylaws.


V. QUORUM

A majority of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present before a vote may be taken.

VI. AGENDA

A. The Chairperson shall prepare and distribute the agenda for all regular and special meetings.

B. The agenda should be posted 3 days in advance of every regular meeting.
C. Adding to the Agenda.

1. Council members may add items to any regular meeting agenda by
contacting the Chairperson one week in advance.
2. Non-Council members may propose an agenda item by contacting
Council members at least 10 working days in advance.
3. The agenda may be amended at the meeting by Council vote.

VII. CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING

The primary method of decision making shall be by consensus. This process is not defined by a majority or two-thirds vote. Consensus allows teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents and community members as a group of professionals, to agree on common goals and on the strategies to reach those goals.

VIII. MINUTES
Minutes shall be kept for all meetings of the EESAC. Copies of the approved minutes shall be maintained by the school as a public record. 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. Information regarding this process will be forthcoming via memorandum.

IX. INPUT FROM NON-COUNCIL MEMBERS

Those who are in attendance at the council meeting should be allowed 2 minutes per speaker at the end of the Council meeting.

X. COMMITTEES

A. The Council chairperson will select an odd number of members to serve on special committees. Any special committee members will remain in office until the special committee report has been approved and finalized.





B. The following committees will be standing committees of the Council:

The Budget Committee – This committee shall be established in accordance with procedures now in place as per the MDCPS/UTD Contract. The Budget Committee shall develop plans for the expenditures of school budgeted funds. To this end, the Council shall be provided with a copy of the present school budget, as well as proposed budgets, and receive appropriate budget orientation and training.

Responses to questions from the Council about the school budget, its structure and implementation, shall be provided to the Council in a timely fashion. The Budget Committee shall help formulate the school budget along with the Principal or designee, and present the proposed budget for Council approval.

2. The Discipline Committee – A Discipline Committee shall be established with membership open to all constituent groups. The purpose of this Committee will be to review all current discipline procedures and make recommendations for the improvement of disciplinary procedures, and to implement programs or strategies that will promote discipline and a safe school environment.

XI. AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended by the consensus of the members present. The proposed changes must have been announced at the previous regular meeting.