Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

6741 Ponce de Leon Middle School

The bylaws for this school were last modified on Sep. 14, 2016.

The bylaws are as follows:

PONCE DE LEON MIDDLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

BYLAWS

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Ponce de Leon Middle Community School Educational
Excellence School Advisory Council is to ensure the successful implementation
of the School Performance Excellence Plan. The Council will prepare and
evaluate the School Performance Excellence Plan for compliance with Florida
State Board of Education Rule 6A-1.09981 and legally binding agreements on the
purpose and operation of the Council.


A. COUNCIL MEMBERS
1. Composition
The Ponce de Leon Middle Community School Educational Excellence
School Advisory Council shall be made up of five teachers (and two
alternates), six parents (and one alternate), one education support
employee (and one alternate), two business/community representatives,
the UTD steward (or designee), student government association
president (and one alternate), and the principal (or designee). With
the exception of the principal, the business/community
representatives, and the UTD steward, all other members shall be
elected by their constituent groups. Teachers, parents, students, and
education support employees shall also elect an alternate
representative (teachers will have two). The alternate student
representative on the Council will be the student government
association vice president. The Council will be representative of the
ethnic, racial, linguistic, disabled, and economic community served
by Ponce de Leon Middle Community School.
2. Eligibility
All teachers, student services 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 not 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 the education support employee representative. All parents,
guardians or significant others responsible for a child enrolled in
Ponce de Leon Middle Community School are eligible to be elected as
parent representatives, with the exception of those parents who are
also employed at Ponce de Leon Middle Community School.
3. Terms of Office
a. Principal--incumbent--no term limit
b. UTD steward--incumbent--no term limit
c. Teachers--a period of approximately three years, corresponding
to the teacher contract, or the remaining time of that contract,
and beginning with election by their constituent group.
d. Parents--one year, beginning with election by their constituent
group.
e. Education Support Employee--one year, beginning with election
by their constituent group.
f. Student--one year, beginning with the election of the student
government association president.
g. Business/Community Representative--one year from the date of
appointment.
4. Responsibilities
a. Council members are expected to:
1. attend all regular and special meetings,
2. communicate with constituents to collect data and opinions for
decision making,
3. report to constituents the actions taken by the Council, and
4. consider the needs of all students when making decisions.
5. 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.
b. Alternated are expected to:
1. attend all regular and special meetings when notified that they
are needed to act for their constituent Council members who are
unable to attend.
2. follow the requirements as listed above for Council members when
acting on their behalf.

B. ELECTION AND APPOINTMENT PROCESS
1. Teacher Elections
Teacher elections shall be conducted by the UTD Steward during a
noticed faculty meeting at the end of each school year, as needed.
Participants shall be notified five days in advance of the election.
The notice of the faculty meeting will state that a purpose of the
meeting is to elect teacher representatives to the Educational
Excellence School Advisory Council. Nominations for the vacant
positions can be taken from the floor. The alternate teacher
representative shall become the representative if a vacancy occurs.
Elections may be held at other times to fill other vacancies.
2. Parent Elections
Parent elections shall be conducted at the beginning of the school
year by the PTSA. Parents shall be notified no less than five days
in advance of the election. Every effort should be made to provide
all parents with the opportunity to participate. The representatives
from the previous school year will serve until an election is held.
The alternate parent representative shall become the representative
if a vacancy occurs. Elections may be held at other times to fill
other vacancies.
3. Education Support Employee Elections
Education support employee elections shall be conducted by the
Principal and the UTD Steward at the beginning of the school year.
The representative from the previous school year will serve until an
election is held. The alternate Education Support Employee shall
become the representative if a vacancy occurs.
4. Student Elections
Student representative elections shall be conducted by the faculty
member responsible for student elections. The student shall be
elected at the end of the school year, while the student is in the
seventh grade, to serve as an eighth grader in the following school
year.
5. Business/Community Representatives
One Business/Community Representative shall be appointed by the
Principal. The other Business/Community Representative shall be
appointed by the Council.

C. MEETINGS
1. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings will begin at 4:00 p.m. and conclude at 5:00
p.m., unless by consensus, the Council agrees to extend or shorten
the time of the meeting, at a location selected by the Council in
accordance with bylaw and notice requirements.
2. Special Meetings
In the event that a special meeting is needed, the Principal, Chair,
or a majority of Council members may call a meeting, with proper
notice.
3. Meeting Cancellation
A regular Council meeting may be canceled by the Council.
4. 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, disability, sexual orientation, or
economic status or which operates in such a manner as to unreasonably
restrict access to such a facility.

D. QUORUM
A majority of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
The quorum must include teacher and parent representatives, as well as the
principal or her/his designee and the UTD Steward or her/his designated
alternate. A quorum must be present before a vote may be taken. In the
event the principal, chair, and union steward agree to the need for an
electronic vote the council has the ability to use this measure.

E. AGENDA
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.
1. The Chair 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 in advance of the meeting.
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.
d. Previous agenda items not covered shall be part of the next
meeting's agenda.

F. OFFICERS
Each year, at the first Council meeting, the Council shall elect a
Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and a Recording Secretary. Officers shall
serve a term of one year. Elections may be held at any time to fill a
vacancy.

G. CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING
The primary method of decision making shall be by consensus. If, after
reasonable efforts to reach consensus, an impasse is reached, a two-thirds
vote of the voting members present is required to reach a decision.

H. MINUTES
Minutes shall be kept for all meetings of the EESAC. 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. 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 in the
Internet.

I. INPUT FROM NON-COUNCIL MEMBERS
Those who are in attendance at the Council meetings shall be provided an
opportunity to discuss issues under consideration in any of the following
ways:
1. Recognition by the Chairperson.
2. By majority vote of the members present.
3. Speakers may make limited presentations commencing at the
conclusion of the regular agenda.

J. COMMITTEES
Standing and Ad Hoc committees may be formed at any time by appointment by
the Chairperson or a majority vote of members present at any meeting. Each
committee must include at least one parent and one teacher representative.
Each committee shall be chaired by Council member. Non Council members may
serve on committees.

K. AMENDMENTS
1. These bylaws may be amended by placing an item on the agenda
specifying the portion of the bylaws to be amended and through the
decision making process described in these bylaws under Section G.
Consensus Decision Making.
2. Notwithstanding any provisions for these bylaws, they shall be
construed to conform to, and to incorporate, any legislation, rules,
regulations, or legally binding agreements which refer to and control
the operation of this Council.

L. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
If a point in question has not been properly addressed by the bylaws of
the Council, the Council will refer to Robert's Rules of Order, Revised in
conducting the meetings and business as needed.

Specific Authority: 230.22 (2) F.S.

Law Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: 229.58(1)(a) F.S.

School Board Rules 6Gx13-4A-1.01, 6Gx13-4A-1.32, and 6Gx13-5D-1.10 prohibit
harassment and/or discrimination against an employee or student on the basis of
gender, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, political beliefs,
marital status, age, sexual orientation, social and family background, linguistic preference, or disability.