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School Governance Graphic
Modified from the Center for Urban Pedagogy’s “Schools Are Us” Brochure
See below for descriptions of these governing bodies.
School- and District-Level Parent Engagement Opportunities
PTAs/ PAs
The PTA or PA is the primary way for you to be involved in your child’s school. The role of a PTA or PA varies from school to school, but they shape the school community by doing things like fundraising and planning community events. All parents are automatically members of the PTA or PA. PTA or PA members elect parent representatives to be on the School Leadership Team.
Title 1 Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
Title 1 PACs help inform decisions about how Title 1 funding is spent at their school. These Councils also review their schools’ Comprehensive Educational Plans to make sure they serve the schools’ low-income students. The Council is made up of parents whose children are eligible for free lunch. See cecd1.org/title-i-resources/ for Title I resources.
SLTs
An SLT is a group of parents, teachers, and administrators who meet monthly to make school decisions. SLTs write a Comprehensive Educational Plan outlining their school’s goals and priorities and strategies to meet those goals. Goals can include things like increasing school diversity or decreasing suspensions. Each SLT has an equal number of parents and school staff. Mandatory members are: The PTA President, parents, the principal, and the UFT Chapter Leader. Optional other members: A minimum of two students (high school), and representatives from local community-based organizations. See cecd1.org/slt-resources/ for SLT resources.
Community Education Council for District 1
The Community Education Council (CEC) is made up of nine volunteer parents from D1 elected for two year terms by the PTA officers in each D1 school. Two additional CEC members are appointed by the Borough President, and a high school student is appointed by the Superintendent. Elected parents must have a child in a District school. CECs replaced the former Community District School Boards.
The CEC’s responsibilities are set by NY State Law, and include: approving changes to zoning lines, reviewing the District’s education programs, evaluating the District Superintendent, assisting SLTs and holding public forums. At each monthly calendar meeting there is a report from the Community District Superintendent and an opportunity for the public to voice their concerns.
CEC1’s mission is to help D1 families and educators to exercise self-determination and local control over education policy and practices and to participate in decision-making at the level of family, school and community. We produce analyses and policy proposals to bridge the gap between the DOE, state and federal mandates and the reality in our district schools. We believe that a democratically-elected body of parents and community members can best represent the interests of the families in D1, and all of our activities support this fundamental belief.
Presidents’ Council
Presidents’ Councils support PTAs in their district or borough. They meet monthly and help facilitate PTA elections, revise PTA bylaws, conduct workshops, meet quarterly with the District Superintendent and may be asked by the PTA to help settle disputes. Presidents’ Councils are made up of representatives from the PTAs in their school district. The President of the Presidents’ Council serves as a mandatory member of the District Leadership Team.
Title 1 District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC)
The Title 1 DPAC represents the needs of low-income students at the district level and provides support to the Parent Advisory Councils in the district. One Title 1 representative from each school serves on the Title 1 DPAC. The chairperson from the Title 1 DPAC serves on the District Leadership Team.
District Leadership Team
DLTs review the goals and priorities for their district that are laid out in the district’s Comprehensive Educational Plan. They also support and review their district’s SLTs. Mandatory members are administrators, union representatives, and parents. Optional other members: CECs and community-based organizations.
Citywide Parent Engagement Opportunities
Citywide Parent Councils
Advisory committees made up of parents from across the city represent groups of students with shared needs, including English Language Learners, students receiving Special Education services, and high school students.
The CPAC (see below) is made up of presidents of each district’s and borough’s Presidents’ Council, who meet monthly to identify parent concerns to the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s delegate. There are also two citywide districts: D75 for Special Education and D79 for Alternative Schools and Programs.
Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council
The Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) is composed of representatives from each of the PTA Presidents’ Councils in the 32 Community School Districts, as well as from Borough High Schools and Special Education. Through CPAC parents citywide have direct communication with the Chancellor and the Department of Education. infocpacnyc@gmail.com
Citywide Council on English Language Learners
The Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL) has the power to advise and consent on any educational or instructional policy involving bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, and to issue an annual report on the effectiveness of the City’s District in providing services to English Language Learners (ELLs). The CCELL makes recommendations, as appropriate, on how to improve the efficiency and delivery of such services. The CCELL advocates on behalf of all students in bilingual, dual language and ESL programs.
ccell@schools.nyc.gov
(718) 752-7394
Citywide Council on Special Education
The Citywide Council on Special Education is an elected body of volunteer parent members whose children have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). CCSE advocates on behalf of all NYC students who have IEPs and advises the NYC Department of Education on instructional policies and school issues involving students with disabilities.
ccse@schools.nyc.gov
(718) 391-8354
Citywide Council on High Schools
The Citywide Council on High Schools, or CCHS, serves as an advisory board providing input to the Chancellor and commentary to the Panel on Educational Policy (PEP) regarding the needs of the city’s public school students, NYC Department of Education policy (proposed and existing), and all other matters of educational or instructional policy including school closures, new schools, standards, compliance and policy implementation. The members of the CCHS serve as advocates for the parents and the students of New York City Public High Schools.
cchs@schools.nyc.gov
(718) 752-7478
Division of Family and Community Engagement, NYCDOE
FACE offers parents and parent coordinators throughout the city leadership opportunities, training, and resources.
52 Chambers Street, Rm. 108
New York, NY 10007
FACE@schools.nyc.gov
(212) 374-4118
Yolanda Torres, Director
ytorres5@schools.nyc.gov
Chancellor and Panel for Educational Policy
The Chancellor, appointed by the mayor, runs the Department of Education (DOE), which operates all of NYC’s public schools. His/her duties include controlling and operating schools, establishing new schools, selecting superintendents, intervening in schools or districts seen as failing, creating systems to evaluate teachers and principals, and much more. The Panel for Educational Policy votes on policies the Chancellor proposes. Those decisions range from what schools are co-located or closed to which test scoring companies get contracts with the city. The Mayor appoints eight of the thirteen members, and the five Borough Presidents appoint one member each. The Chancellor is a nonvoting member. Since 2002, the Mayor has had the power to appoint and dismiss the Chancellor.
Citywide Chancellor
Carmen Fariña
NYCChancellor@schools.nyc.gov; CGFarina@schools.nyc.gov
(212) 374-0200
Deputy Chancellor
Corinne Rello-Anselmi, Division of Specialized Instruction
CRello@schools.nyc.gov
(718) 935-2007
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