Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School
Local School Council (LSC) PARENT CANDIDATE
(NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS PACKET)
The Local School Council (LSC) Parent/Teacher Candidate “Nomination Window”
is open from *Monday, September 8, 2014 until Friday, September 12, 2014.
(*Nomination forms accepted, during school hours.)
Toomer’s Local School Council (LSC) currently has 7 parent member vacancies 2 teacher member vacancies. Interested parent candidates have an option to fill vacant seat positions that have a 3 year term, 2 year term, or 1 year term.
Interested parent candidates should complete the attached nomination application and candidate statement found in this Nominations & Elections Packet and returned to the front office to the school’s principal, Dr. Jones. *All completed LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL (LSC) PARENT/TEACHER CANDIDATE NOMINATION FORMS (Application & Candidate Statement) should be returned to the LSC Nominations Box via the principal, Dr. Jones, in Toomer’s Main Office, no later than 3:00pm on Friday, September 12, 2014.
The vision for the Toomer LSC is to advance positive student outcomes through the involvement of parents, faculty, and the community.
Opportunities presented:
Be Active ● Be Involved ● Assuming Leadership Role ● Involved in Team-Building ● Participate in Instructional Decision Making ● Attend Educational Conferences ● Engage in Researched Best Practices
The election of local school council members (Parent & Teacher) will be held on the lsc Parent/Teacher ELECTIONS/VOTING DAY thursday, September 18, 2014 7AM – 7PM ballots collected in toomer’s Main office
Electing body for the parent members shall consist of all parents and guardians eligible to serve as a parent member of the school council.
LSC Parent/Teacher members Election Results Meeting – Toomer’s Media Center
65 Rogers St., NE, Atlanta, GA 30317 on Monday, September 22, 2014 (8:15AM)
Meeting called by principal of the electing bodies for the purpose of selecting members of the
school council as required by Code section O.C.G.A. § 20-2-86.
Toomer Local School Council (LSC) Nominations and Elections
for the 2014-2015 School year @ Fred ARmon Toomer Elementary School (FATE)
Public Notice Given on friday, september 5, 2014
Public Notice of LSC Nominations Window @ FATE - Parent & Teacher Candidates
· Monday, September 8, 2014 – Friday, September 12, 2014
· Interested parent and teacher candidates should obtain, complete, and submit a Toomer LSC Candidate Nomination Form, prior to 3:00PM on Friday, September 12, 2014.
· Toomer LSC currently has 7 parent member vacancies.
Public Notice of LSC Elections/Voting day @ FATE - Parent & Teacher Candidates
· Thursday, September 18, 2014 7AM – 7PM
· Voting ballots will be available in Toomer’s Main Office.
· Sample ballot will be posted/available in Toomer’s main office, atrium, and on Toomer’s Local School Council’s webpage.
Public Notice of LSC Elections results Meeting @ FATE - Parent & Teacher Candidates
· Date: Monday, September 22, 2014
· Location: Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School (Media Center)
65 Rogers Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
· Time: 8:15AM
· Results will be posted in Toomer’s main office, atrium windows, and on the school’s website.
District Training for LSC Members
· Local School Councils training session(s) will focus on membership requirements, bylaws, regulations, College Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) and parliamentary procedures.
· If any of the schools newly elected Local School Council members have not attended either a “Getting Started/CCRPI or Paving the Way for Productive Meetings” training session, arrangements to attend will be made by the school’s LSC school liaison or the Local School Council Board Members.
Toomer’s Local School Council (LSC) Webpage: http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/page/7654
Nominations and Elections Process can be obtained from:
· Fred A. Toomer Elementary School Local School Council BYLAWS - www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/page/7654
· The Georgia School Council GuideBook - www.gsci.org/councils/training.html
Who Serves on a School Council?
Per the Fred A. Toomer Elementary School Local School Council BYLAWS Article 3:
Article 3 School Council Membership
Membership on the council shall be open to teachers, parents, and business representatives and other such members as the school council may specify in its bylaws. Members of the school council shall not receive compensation to serve on a school council.
There shall be a minimum of seven active school council members of whom a majority shall constitute a quorum shall manage the property and business of the council. Members of the school council shall include:
1) Parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school, excluding employees who are parents or guardians of such students, must make up the majority of the school councils. Parent council members shall be elected by, and from among, the group they represent;
NOTE A: An employee of the local school system may serve as a parent representative on the council of a school in which his or her child is enrolled if such employee works at a different school.
NOTE D: School board members, as parents or businesspersons, are disqualified from serving on schools councils but are allowed to vote as a parent from an electing body.
2) Two of the parent or guardian members must be businesspersons
3) Two certified teachers, excluding any personnel employed in administrative positions, who are employed at least four of the six school segments at the school; and
4) The school principal; and
5) Members as specified in the councils bylaws, such as, but not limited to, students, staff, and representatives of school related organizations. Other businesspersons from the local business community may serve on the council and shall be selected by the members of the school council.
Conflict of interest issues generally do not apply to council members because councils are advisory in nature, as opposed to boards of education, which are decision-making bodies.
Public Notice of Elections for Selecting Members
Per the Fred A. Toomer Elementary School Local School Council BYLAWS
Article 16 Duties of the Principal
The school principal shall have the following duties pertaining to school council activities:
…2) Call meetings of the election bodies after providing public notice at least two weeks before such meetings;
Per the The Georgia School Council GuideBook
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-86 – Requirements of school councils
(g) After providing public notice at least two weeks before the meeting of each electing body, the principal of each school shall call a meeting of electing bodies for the purpose of selecting members of the school council as required by this Code section. The electing body for the parent members shall consist of all parents and guardians eligible to serve as a parent member of the school council, and the electing body for the teacher members shall consist of all certificated personnel eligible to serve as a teacher member of the school council. The school council shall specify in its bylaws the month in which elections are to be held and shall specify a nomination and election process.
Per the Fred A. Toomer Elementary School Local School Council BYLAWS
…for Articles 8, 4, 14, and XVIII
Article 8 Elections
The electing body for the parent member shall consist of all parents and guardians eligible to serve as a parent member of the school council. The nomination shall occur at the last PTA meeting of the school year. The council may adjust the timing and procedures of nominations and elections if recognized and voted on by the council.
Addendum: The 2012 - 2013 LSC nominations will take place in August of 2012. The election process will finish in September allowing newly elected members to begin their terms in October of 2012.
The electing body for the teacher member shall consist of all certified personnel eligible to serve as a teacher member of the school council. The nomination shall occur during the last faculty meeting of the school year.
The businesspersons shall be selected in the following manner:
Two of the business persons must be parents or guardians of a current Fred A. Toomer Elementary student voted in through the normal election process. Any school council member can nominate additional businesspersons or community leaders who may be voted in by the council following the nomination and after the school council confirms the nominee’s commitment for a full term.
NOTE A: The law allows all qualified parents/guardians of a student enrolled in the school to vote.
Article 4 Vacancy on Council
The office of school council shall automatically be vacated if:
1) a member shall resign;
2) the person holding the office is removed as a member by an action of the council; or
3) a member no longer meets the qualifications specified by law;
4) The council will determine, by a majority vote, whether the council member will be removed due to
inactivity. Inactivity is defined as missing three (3) consecutive meetings without notice given to Council Chairperson. The effective date of a vacancy shall be determined by the school council.
5) The Council will determine by majority vote if a vacated term – which does not threaten the minimum
number of councilmembers or the bylaw determined ratio of positions – must have an election for its reinstatement.
a. The Council also may “completely terminate” a vacated council position, thereby bringing to an immediate end the remaining time of said term, for the purposes of electing a replacement that is not bound by the existing term limit.
6) As Local School Councils are required by law to have staggered terms and that such staggering is in the best management interest of LSCs, the Council may, through unanimous vote only as a show of group consent, explore options for shortening or lengthening term lengths of individual councilmembers.
a. If a solution is arrived upon and a councilmember is willing to shorten or lengthen his or her term, then another unanimous vote must indicate board recognition and willingness to accept this volunteering. No board procedure is necessary; however, if a council member desires to resign. Such procedures are only necessary for mid-term re-staggering efforts.
Note A: An election within the electing body for a replacement to fill the remainder of an unexpired term shall be held within 30 days, unless there are 90 calendar days or less remaining in the term in which case vacancy shall remain unfilled.
Note B: If a member is unable to attend a meeting, he or she shall notify the chairperson
Article 14 Term of Office
Council members shall be elected for THREE (3) year terms. Terms shall be staggered such that only two non APS employee members of the Council shall come off the council in any given year. Council members may serve more than one term.
What are the Roles and Responsibilities of Council Members?
Article XVIII Scope of Council Responsibilities
A) School Councils are advisory bodies. Councils shall provide advice and recommendations to the school principal and, when appropriate, the local board of education and local school board superintendent, on any matter related to student achievement and school improvement, including but not limited to, the following:
1) School board policies;
2) School improvement plans;
3) Curriculum and assessment;
4) Report cards and audits of the school as conducted by the Office of Student Achievement;
5) Develop of a school profile which shall contain data as identified by the council to describe the academic performance, academic progress, services, awards, interventions, environment, and other such data as the council deems appropriate;
6) School budget priorities, including school capital improvement plans;
7) School-community communication strategies;
8) Methods of involving parents and communities;
9) Extracurricular activities in the school;
10) School-based and community services;
11) Community use of school facilities;
12) Student discipline and attendance;
13) Reports from the school principal regarding progress toward the school’s student achievement goals, including progress within specific grade levels and subject areas and by school personnel; and
14) The method and specifications for the delivery of early intervention services or other appropriate services for underachieving students.
The role of the council in the principal selection shall be determined in policy written by the local board of education.
The vision for the Toomer LSC is to advance positive student outcomes through the involvement of parents, faculty, and the community.
LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL (LSC) PARENT CANDIDATE NOMINATION APPLICATION
Important Note: This parent candidate nomination form, along with an attached candidate statement, should be filed in Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School’s Main Office, no later than 3:00PM on Friday, September 12, 2014.
(Please Print OR TYPE All Information)
School Name: Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School East Region - Jackson Cluster
Local School Council Candidate Type: Parent/Legal Guardian
Candidate Name:
Last name First name Middle Initial
Home Address:
City: State: Zip:
Email Address:
NOTE: Under state law, the names & addresses of Local School Council members are matters of public record. A candidate by signing below certifies that he/she has verified residing within the attendance area or voting boundary of this school.
This section is to be completed by candidates for the position of Parent Representative:
How many of your children attend Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School? _____
Name of your child(ren): ______
Grade(s):
Teacher(s):
Please attach a brief statement stating why you wish to serve on Toomer’s Local School Council.
IDENTIFICATION SUBMITTED
Under penalty of law, I verify that the information contained in this Candidate Nomination Form is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.
** Candidate’s Signature ______Date______
** Received by (School) Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School Time______Date ______
------TEAR ALONG THIS LINE ------
NOMINATION FORM RECEIPT
Nomination Form Received by: ______Date: ______Time: ______
School Name: Fred Armon Toomer Elementary School
¨ Complete Nomination Form & Candidate Statement ¨ Incomplete Nomination Form & Candidate Statement
Comments:
Under the School Reform Act, the names and addresses of Local School Council Members are matters of public record.