Running PA/PTA Elections - PowerPoint Presentation

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Running PA/PTA Elections

May 2019

PA/PTA elections must be conducted according to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 and the PA/PTA’s bylaws.PA/PTA elections for mandatory officers – president, recording secretary, and treasurer – must be conducted before the last day of school.

If at least one mandatory officer is not elected by the last day of school, the PA/PTA will cease to exist.Elections for other officers, per the PA/PTA’s bylaws, should be conducted in the spring to the extent possible but may be held at the first PA/PTA meeting in the fall.

PA/PTA ELECTION BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 provides the general requirements that must be followed for PA/PTA elections – they are meant to ensure a fair and inclusive election process open to all parents. The regulation also outlines the elements of the election process that must be included a PA/PTA’s bylaws.

Bylaws lay out the process for conducting your PA/PTA’s elections. They also dictate the composition of your executive board.

CHANCELLOR’S REGULATION AND BYLAWS

Ideally formed at the February General Membership meeting and composed of 3-5 members.A PA/PTA member running for an officer position may not serve on the committee/team. (If you’re on the committee you are not eligible to run for office.)School staff are not eligible to serve as committee members even if they have children in the school.

Note: If your PA/PTA doesn’t have a formal nominating committee, it should ensure that the tasks that the responsibilities are assumed by an eligible person or people.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE - Composition

Canvas parents for eligible candidatesSend out nomination requests writing (use Request for Nomination Form* templates)Take nominations from the floor at general membership meetings

Schedule elections and notify principalCreate Election Meeting Notice* Use translated templates

Give to principal/PC to distribute to all parents with at least 10 calendar daysPrepare ballots*, sign in sheets, ballot box, tally sheets*

Ensure voter eligibility is verified by a school staff member

NOMINATING COMMITTEE — Pre-Election Role

ParentBirth of adoptive parentStep-parent Legally appointed guardian

Foster parent“Person in parental relation” to a childParental Relation = assumed care because child’s parents are unavailable due to:

DeathImprisonment

Mental illness

Living outside the state

Abandonment

Note: According to the DOE, a person who provides temporary care of a child (e.g., a babysitter, nanny, or a custodial relative) does not qualify as a person in parental relation. The principal makes the determination based on documentation presented to the school prior to the election.

DEFINITION OF A PARENT

ELIGIBILITYAll current parents are eligible to run office (parents of incoming students are not). Candidates need not be present at the election to run for office.For spring elections, eligibility is determined by the nominating committee (with guidance from the school) before the election meeting.For expedited elections, eligibility is determined at the election by the principal, parent coordinator, or another school staff designee at the election meeting before voting begins.

DISQUALIFICATIONSA parent with a conflict of interest (financial dealings with the PA/PTA, school, or district)A school employee, regardless of whether the school staff member has a child in the school Parents of incoming parent

CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY

PA/PTA bylaws may allow for an office to be filled by co-officers, but co-officers cannot be required.Parents who wish to serve together as co-officers must run together during the election.

The top two vote recipients MAY NOT be combined into co-officer after the election.

If a co-officer resigns or is removed from the office, the remaining co-officer may decide whether to continue serving alone; if they decide not to continue alone, there must be an expedited election.

CO-OFFICERS

In writingInclude date, time, and location of election

List all executive board positions to be filledState that parents are eligible to hold office unless they are employees at the schoolOutline the mechanism(s) by which parents can become candidates for PA/PTA office and the date nominations close

List term limits, if they are included in the bylawsInclude date that notification was distributed to all parents and means of distributionCreated by the nominating committee; distributed by the school at least 10 calendar days before the election is to be held

Note:

Candidates’ names may be included only if nominations are already closed.

ELECTION MEETING NOTICE

If a nominating committee member cannot chair the election meeting, any parent member of the PA/PTA who is not a candidate can do so.

If guidance is needed, the committee may request help from the appropriate Presidents’ Council or Superintendent’s office, but a parent member should still chair the election.If necessary to enable the election to occur at the election meeting, a member of the Presidents’ Council or Superintendent’s office may chair the election meeting.

Note: The principal, principal’s designee, or parent coordinator may NEVER chair the election.

ELECTION MEETING – Who Chairs

ELIGIBILITYAll members of the PA/PTA are eligible to vote.Parent voter eligibility should be determined by the principal, parent coordinator, or another school staff designee at the election meeting before ballots are distributed (using ATS, not the blue cards).All voting must occur in person.

VOTER ELIGIBILITY

DISQUALIFICATIONS

Parents of incoming students

Supervisory Staff (principals, assistant principals, and supervisors) and parent coordinators – even if they have a child who attends the school

Before voting occurs and after voter eligibility is determined, candidates must be given an opportunity to address the membership.Candidates may allow a designee to read their statement.All voting must be done in person—not absentee ballots.Ballots must be used for contested offices.There is one election.If two or more candidates get the highest same number of votes, a runoff election must be conducted (for those candidates only).

ELECTION MEETING – General Rules

BallotsAbsentee ballots are not allowed – all voting must be done in personMust be counted immediately following the conclusion of voting and in the presence of at least three observers from the meetingCannot leave the room (or the principal’s office with a documented chain of custody) until all have been counted and the meeting is adjournedMust remain on school premisesElection Certification Form The person running the election meeting should make sure the principal or designee (but not the parent coordinator) signs the ECF before the meeting adjourns

PA/PTA officers must provide their contact information, including an email address.The completed ECF, including contact information for all officers, must be provided to the principal/parent coordinator and superintendent’s office within 5 days of the election.Note: Many PA/PTAs conduct the SLT election immediately after the PA/PTA election is finalized.

FINALIZING THE ELECTION

Establishing a PA/PTA in a new schoolRe-establishing a PA/PTA that has ceased to function/exist

Filling an officer vacancy that cannot be filled by succession*

*Succession refers to the process by which an officer may be asked to fill (or succeed to) the next highest office. The order of success is outlined in a PA/PTA’s bylaws.

EXPEDITED ELECTIONS – When Needed

EXPEDITED ELECTION – How to Run

Process should be enumerated in PA/PTA’s bylaws.

CR A-660 requirements are similar to those for regular elections except for chairing the meeting, the nomination process, and timing.

A parent member who is not seeking office should chair the election meeting.

(A representative from the appropriate Presidents’ Council or superintendent’s office may advise the parent chair or chair the meeting if necessary.)

Nominations are taken from the floor for each office.

The Election Notice must state that nominations are taken from the floor so parents understand how the expedited election will be conducted.

September 30 – For new schools, PA/PTAs that failed to conduct a valid annual election before the last day of school, and PA/PTAs where all three mandatory offices were vacated over the summerOctober 15 – For officer vacancies that exist at the beginning of the year, as long as at least one mandatory office is filled“As soon as possible”

– For PA/PTAs that cease to function during the school year and for officer vacancies that occur during the year and cannot be filled by succession (with at least 5 calendar days notice given to parents of the election meeting)

EXPEDITED ELECTIONS — Deadlines

Complaint/GrievanceParent/complainant must be submitted in writing to the superintendent’s office within 5 calendar days of the election to electiongrievances@schools.nyc.govMust include complainant’s name and contact informationResponseThe superintendent’s office investigates the complaint/grievanceMust send decision letter to complainant (parent) within 10 calendar days of receiving the complaintIn extraordinary circumstances, the superintendent’s office may refer the grievance to FACE, notifying the complainant in writing

Appeal Within 5 calendar days of the superintendent’s decision, complainant may appeal, in writing, to FACE at electiongrievances@schools.nyc.govFACE will investigate grievance and render a final and binding decision on the the appeal within 10 calendar days.

ELECTION GRIEVANCE PROCESS

Election notice is sent fewer than 10 calendar days before the electionCandidate campaigned on the school propertyVote tampering – i.e., ballots counted outside the meeting roomVoter eligibility is not determined correctlyCandidate is not a parent or guardian of a child registered at the school

Note: Grievances must be based on a violation of the election process outlined in either CR A-660 or the PA/PTA bylaws. A grievance may not be brought to contest an undesirable outcome.

EXAMPLES OF APPROPRIATE GRIEVANCES

Your PA/PTA will cease to exist if you don’t elect mandatory officers before the last day of school.If you want to include incoming parents on your executive board, you should hold off on elections until the fall.CR A-660 allows for co-officer positions.If the only two people willing to run for president will do so as co-presidents, they should be able to run as co-officers so you can conduct the election before the end of the school year.Once elections are held and the board transition meeting has occurred, the next executive board’s term begins, even if its before the end of the school year.If two or more candidates are tied with the highest number of votes, a run-off election must be held.

TRUE OR FALSE

MOCK ELECTION

THANK YOU FOR COMING & ALL YOU DO FOR OUR SCHOOLS!RESOURCES:

PTAlink

– www.ptalink.org

info@ptalink.org

rachel@ptalink.org

marta@ptalink.org

Division of Family and Community Empowerment

212-374-4118

face@schools.nyc.gov

www.nyc.gov/schools

electiongrievances@schools.nyc.gov