Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

7591 North Miami Senior High School

The bylaws for this school were last modified on Sep. 02, 2009.

The bylaws are as follows:

EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS
NORTH MIAMI SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

A. PURPOSE
The purpose of the North Miami Senior High School Educational Excellence School Advisory Council (EESAC), hereinafter referred to as the “Council”, is to work to ensure improved student achievement. To this end, the Council will have the following responsibilities:
1. to foster an environment of professional collaboration among all education stakeholders, who must have an authentic role in decisions which effect instruction and the delivery of educational programs.
2. to assist in the preparation and evaluation of the School Performance Excellence Plan (SPEP) required from each school. All recommendations made by, and evolving from, the Councils should be tied to one or more strategies of its SPEP, and in support of the state/district goals.
3. to have the responsibility to address all state and district goals, with the authority to periodically review the SPEP and amend as needed.
4. to serve as the appropriate avenue for authentic and representative input from all education professionals, parents, students, business community, and interested citizens.
5. to ensure the continued existence of participatory, consensus-building process on all issues related to the school's instructional program and which are in support of goals in the SPEP and the state's or district's planning goals. Such issues may include, but not be limited to, curriculum, budget, discipline and professional development.
B. COUNCIL MEMBERS
1. Composition
The North Miami Senior High School Council shall be made up of five (5) teachers, five (5) parents, One (1) student, one (1) education support employee, five (5) business/community representatives, the UTD steward and the principal. Additionally, the principal, one (1) teacher, and one (1) student from the adult/post secondary program will be included as council members. With the exception of the principals 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 an alternate representative. The Council will be representative of the ethnic, racial, linguistic, disabled, and economic community served by North Miami Senior High 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 North Miami Senior High School are eligible to be elected as parent representatives, with the exception of those parents who are also employed by North Miami Senior High School.
3. Terms
The terms of office shall begin on June 1, and end on May 31. The terms of office for teachers and the education support employee shall be for a two-year period. The terms for non-instructional members will be one year.
4. Attendance
Any member who has two consecutive unexcused absences from Council meetings should be considered to have resigned. The member shall be replaced following election/selection procedures as stated in these bylaws.
5. Responsibilities
Council members are expected to:
a. attend all regular and special meetings,
b. communicate with constituents to collect data and opinions for decision making,
c. report to constituents the actions taken by the Council, and
d. consider the needs of all students when making decisions.

C. ELECTION PROCESS
The school shall give proper notice of the election of Council members in accordance with Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law. The school shall also make its best effort to hold elections for each constituent group during hours that are convenient for each constituent group.

1. Teachers
Elections will be held every two years. Teachers will be nominated at the April faculty meeting and elections will take place at the May faculty meeting. The five faculty members with the highest number of votes will be selected for membership to the council. The faculty member with the next highest number of votes will serve as the alternate member.
Should a vacancy occur during the term in office, the alternate shall replace the vacant position and an election for the replacement of the alternate shall take place at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting.
2. Parents
Parents will be elected at the May PTSA meeting of the new school year. All interested parties may nominate themselves or be nominated by another parent.
Should a parent vacancy occur during the school year, an election of a parent to fill the vacancy shall take place at the next regularly scheduled PTSA meeting.
3. Students
The student government shall select two students and an alternate to serve on the EESAC prior to the end of the school year preceding their term.
4. Officers
The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Recording Secretary shall be elected at the first scheduled meeting of the EESAC annually. Should an officer resign their position during the term office, the EESAC will elect a member to fill the vacancy at the next scheduled EESAC meeting.
D. MEETINGS
1. Regular Meetings
All meetings shall be held at a time that is convenient to parents, students, teachers, and business/community representatives. The regular meetings of the Council will be held on the first Wednesday of each month. The meetings will be held in the Principal's conference room at 3:00p.m.
2. Special Meetings
In the event a special meeting is needed, the principal, chair or a majority of Council members may call a meeting.
3. Cancellation
The Council may cancel a regular Council meeting.
4. Open Meetings
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, or economic status or which operates in such a manner as to unreasonably restrict access to such a facility.

E. QUORUM
A majority of the membership of the Council will constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present before the Council may take a vote.





F. AGENDA
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, in writing, the Chair five school days 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.
d. All EESAC members must receive at least 3-day’s advance notice in writing of any matter that is scheduled to come before the Council for a vote.

G. CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING
The primary method of decision-making shall be by consensus (e.g. collective opinion or general agreement).

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, as well as a tentative agenda for the next meeting. The minutes shall be approved at the next regular meeting of the Council and an official copy kept on file in the principal’s office and on-line at the District’s website. Draft copies of the minutes will be posted on-line, in the faculty sign in room and the EESAC bulletin board located in the teacher break room within five (5) days of the meeting. Copies will be available from the Chairperson upon request.
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 the following manner:
1. Non-council members may address the Council concerning issues under consideration after Council discussion but before a decision is made.
2. Non-members are limited to three (3) minutes when addressing issues under consideration.
J. COMMITTEES
The Council may establish any committee it deems necessary. Any committee formed will operate as a subcommittee of the Council. Committees that address issues related to the School Performance Excellence Plan are appropriate. All committees must operate under the Sunshine Law unless they are fact-finding only or gathering information. The Council may create standing committees (i.e. budget, discipline, professional development, and curriculum). Members of standing committees do not have to be Council members. Ad hoc committees may be formed from Council or non-Council members to develop specific recommendations for any area that falls within the purview of the Council purpose statement.

K. AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a 2/3 vote of the membership of the Educational Excellence School Advisory Council, provided that at least 5 working days written notice of the proposed change has been given to all members of the Council.


Specific Authority: 230.22(2); 230.23(22) F.S. Law Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: 229.58; 229.591; 230.23005(5) F.S.