NEW YORK—Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza kicked off the 2019 Community and Citywide Education Council election cycle today, urging parents to run as part of their effort to empower and elevate the voice of parent leaders, which includes their ongoing five-borough parent forum tour.
Education Councils are a critical way for parents and families to get involved and help shape their school communities. Parents can go online to learn more about the structure and roles of the Education Councils. This website includes information on eligibility guidelines, key dates, and frequently asked questions. Applications can be submitted online starting tomorrow through March 6. The application page will go live tomorrow, February 14. All Education Council resources online are available in ten languages.
“Parents know our education system the best. They see first-hand what’s working and what isn’t and nobody’s perspective is more important. When it comes to representation on local educational councils, run, parents, run!” said Mayor de Blasio.
“The only way to create lasting change in our schools is to empower communities. That’s why I’m calling on all parents to run for an Education Council seat and make a difference for our children, regardless of the language they speak or what zip code or even country they are from,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “I also encourage our PA and PTA officers to get involved and exercise their key role in these elections by attending forums, meeting with all the candidates and most importantly, voting this spring.”
“I’ve seen firsthand these last few months how passionate New York City families are about their school communities, and I’m so excited for parents across the city to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Parent leaders are central to advancing our Equity and Excellence for All agenda, and I’m looking forward to our continued partnership with Education Council members in the coming years,” said Deputy Chancellor for Community Empowerment, Partnerships and Communications Hydra Mendoza.
The DOE has made working with school communities and parent leaders a priority. The Mayor and Chancellor recently embarked on a five-borough parent empowerment tour to hear first-hand from elected and appointed parent leaders about their priorities for the school system. Education Council members were all invited to attend to share ideas and ask questions, along with PA/PTA board members. Last year, the Chancellor appointed Hydra Mendoza to be the Deputy Chancellor for Community Empowerment, Partnerships, and Communications and further strengthen the infrastructure and systems for our parents to be empowered and active, particularly in historically underserved communities. Chancellor Carranza kicked off the beginning of his time in New York City with a listening tour across all five boroughs, where he met with 1,900 parents.
Community and Citywide Education Council elections take place every two years. There are 36 Councils across the City, which are required by state law and Chancellor’s regulations, including 32 Community Education Councils (CECs), the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS), the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL), the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE), and the Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75). The 32 CECs are responsible for approving school zoning lines, holding hearings on the capital plan, and providing input on instructional and policy issues. Citywide Councils advise on and advocate for school policy affecting the specific needs of the students they represent. Each applicant for a CEC position must be a parent of a student enrolled in a district elementary or middle school [Pre-K-8], while applicants for the Citywide Council on High Schools must have a child in high school. Eligible applicants for the other three Citywide Councils must have a student receiving the respective services and programs. Parents serve two-year terms.
“Students are most successful when parents are empowered to hold the Mayor accountable for their education promises. That is why it’s vital for parents across the city to get involved and run for their local Community Education Council. As the proud father of two public school students I know that a great education starts with a real partnership between parents and the City,” said Comptroller Scott Stringer.
«CECs advance the ABCs of our children’s education, and that’s why I encourage parents from all over Brooklyn to get involved in our Community and Citywide Education Councils. Family engagement is an indispensable component of quality schools, for our own children as well as our neighborhood’s children. Engaged parents and guardians raise the bar of excellence for students, teachers, and administrators, while helping to build the supportive infrastructure that makes so much of our community programming possible. It’s because of the power of CECs that I was proud to get legislation signed in Albany two years ago that expanded membership to parents with children in pre-k programs. I’ve worked with our borough’s CEC members on important initiatives such as summer resource fairs, coding in schools, and PTA empowerment, and I can’t wait to see what our next class of parent leaders will bring to enhance our educational system,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“Having engaged parents and families involved in the decision making process of our public schools is critical to creating strong, equitable learning communities. I encourage all parents and families interested in making their local schools stronger to apply to serve on Community and/or Citywide Education Councils so we can make New York City schools more responsive to the needs of children from all our communities,” said Council Member Robert Cornegy.
The DOE encourages all eligible Selectors to vote in this year’s elections. The following parent leaders are eligible to vote in the Education Council elections:
Community Education Councils: members are elected by the PA/PTA president, recording secretary, and treasurer of every school in the corresponding community school district.
Citywide Council on High Schools: members are elected by the PA/PTA president, recording secretary, and treasurer of every high school; each borough elects two representatives.
Citywide Council on Special Education: members are elected by parents of students with an IEP, nominated by each Presidents’ Council in NYC.
Citywide Council on English Language Learners: members are elected by parents of English Language Learners, nominated by each Presidents’ Council in NYC.
Citywide Council for District 75: members are elected by the PA/PTA president, recording secretary, and treasurer of every District 75 school
In addition to the 9 elected members, each CEC includes 2 members appointed by the Borough President. Each of the citywide councils includes appointees from the Public Advocate, and CCHS includes two members appointed by the CCSE and CCELL respectively.
Information sessions were held in all five boroughs in partnership with the borough presidents, and additional presentations were offered to parents at Presidents’ Council meetings and other events throughout the city. At the recommendation of parent leaders, there will be conferences in all five boroughs for all candidates between March 18 and 21 to learn more about the roles. Interpretation services will be available at all Education Council election events.
Parents can apply for a seat starting tomorrow through March 6. Between March 25 and May 1, Presidents’ Councils will host forums for candidates to engage with the Selectors who will be voting online from May 2 through May 14. On May 21, the results will be posted on online. The Office of Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) will organize an all-day orientation for the newly elected Education Council members as well as ongoing technical trainings on their roles and responsibilities and leadership development programs.
The Councils
Community Education Councils (CEC)
The CECs work closely with the district superintendents, approve school zoning lines, hold hearings on the capital plan, and provide input on instructional and policy issues. Each CEC has nine members who are, or were at the time of election, parents of students in grades K-8 in district schools, and two Borough President appointees.
Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS)
The CCHS advises on education policy and issues involving high school students. The CCHS has 10 elected members, two from each borough, who must be the parents of students currently attending a public high school. Three members are appointed.
Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL)
The CCELL advises on education policy and issues involving students in bilingual or English as a New Language (ENL) programs. The CCELL has nine elected members, who must be parents of students currently or recently classified by the DOE as English Language Learners. Two members are appointed.
Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE)
The CCSE advises on education policy and services for students with disabilities. The CCSE has nine elected members, who must be parents of students receiving special education services paid for by the DOE. Two members are appointed.
Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75)
The CCD75 advises on education policy and services for students with disabilities who attend a D75 program. The CCD75 has nine elected members, who must be parents of students in a D75 program. Two members are appointed.