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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-04-03 Speical Education Parent Advisory Council Minutes - ByLaw SubcommitteeBylaws Subcommittee Minutes on 413/13 The meeting took place at the Town Hall in the Berger Conference Room Subcommittee consists of Michele Sanphy Michelle Grasso Melissa Pucci Nicole O'Neill Whitney Crane Terri Teixeira Jennifer Killeen All of whom are present for this first meeting of the Bylaws Subcommittee Subcommittee meeting opens at 8:20 pm Previous PAC business meeting established the following goals and duties of this subcommittee: Revise PAC bylaws to be more Compare with other bylaws from other towns, the School Committee Section B Board of Governance and Operations, MASSPAC Guidelines, the Open Meeting Law Guide, the Town of Readings Guidelines for Public Officials. Increase flexibility, made clear, remove contradictions, provide specific terms for officers, make the PAC open to everyone (membership is currently too exclusive), clarify general membership and voting membership. Stipulate when bylaws should be reviewed or rewritten. Revisit responsibility of every position. Keep election coordinator. Make it easier for people to be liaisons. Make no requirements for membership quorum. Change officer election to the fall when there are more general members at the meetings. Previous year's officers need to have the fast couple of meetings in place for the fall. Discussion starts with Article IV: Co -chair term A 2 year tens for Co- chairs, where each chair is voted on alternating years. Concerned that a 2 yr term commitment too long, fewer volunteers for positions Discuss the merits 1 yr term, with the option of running for multiple terms. Discussion about whether there should be a limit to number of years one may serve on the board in a given position. Conclude that anyone may run for no more than 4 consecutive years in one position. Discussion on when the best time to have elections is. Conclude that elections should occur in a general meeting at beginning of the school year, no later than Nov. 1st. Discussion on when bylaws should be rewritten. Conclude that bylaws should be reviewed every year, and this should be put on the business meeting agenda once a year By laws revised as needed. A subcommittee will then be voted to work on revisions to put before the membership. Keep language in that says vote on revisions needs to be at a separate meeting. It was noted that the general meeting that features Student services is a good meeting to have elections because there is a good turnout. Have this meeting in the Fall. Discussion moves to Article VI: Meetings The bylaws currently state that general meeting need to be at least once a month Discussion on what is a good number of general meetings to have in order to best serve the community Discuss whether to include minimum of business meetings Conclude that there will be a minimum of 6 general or business meetings per school year, one of which must be Basic Rights, as mandated by the DSE. This will allow sufficient flexibility for future PAC officers, while still providing appropriate guidelines Include pg 13 of the bylaw comparison Article IV e. from Wilmington PAC's bylaws Discussion moves to Article I. Name This was discussed at another business meeting, so we will leave it as The Reading Parent Advisory Council. Discussion moves to the role of the PAC The difference between advisory and advocacy is discussed Discussion about the district's practice to not discuss summer services at team IEP meetings for their children in the fall and winter months. Is a violation of IEP parental rights? Co- chairs will look into it. Officers present the process of what do the co chairs do with information that the liaisons send to them Requests that all issues be put in the monthly update email to the officers so that everyone stays up to date, and so that they can see what issues are overlapping in different schools. Michelle Osseo moves that we close the meeting Nicole O'Neill seconds it. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm Minutes are not verbatim Minutes were taken by Whitney Crane, secretary.