Parent Leadership at Beacon

At Beacon, we have an active parent body and to assist with parent events, functions and issues we have an Executive Board of Parent Association officers and parent members on the School Leadership Team. We invite ALL parents to run for these leadership positions at Beacon and to be more involved in the school!

PA Executive Board

The Beacon PA holds annual elections in June for terms running from July 1-June30. All Beacon Parents are eligible to run for any position. You can see the A660 Chancellor’s Regulations governing PTA/PAs at http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/EBEFFD82-30D5-4B91-9F9A-6A07B0D0F2D6/0/A660.pdf

We hope you will consider running for positions on the Executive Board!

Questions?

Contact: beaconpa@beaconschool.org

Officers 2016-2017

• Jean Chen-Villalba: Co-President

• Patricia Roberts: Co-President

• Abigail Wendell: Co-President

• Jennifer Economou: Vice President

• Kim Armor: Treasurer

• Judith O’Driscoll: Assistant Treasurer

• Amy Weinblatt: Co-Secretary

• Kristine Gregorek: Co-Secretary

• James Ellison: Member at Large

• Joanne Dugan: Member at Large

• Kate Ryan: Member at Large

• Lisa Kline: Member at Large

• Marni Shapiro: Member at Large

• Miriam Davidson: Member at Large

• Sylvia Wehrle: Member at Large

• Ted Leather: Member at Large

Duties of Officers of the Beacon School Parent Association

• To be eligible for office, a candidate must:
  (a) be a member of the Association;
  (b) have attended at least one general membership meeting during the current school year;
  (c) have a child who is or will be a student at The Beacon School during the candidate’s term of office.
• President. The President (or either Co-President) shall preside at all membership and Executive Board meetings of the Association and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee. The President (or Co-Presidents) shall be designated as one of the signatories on the Association’s bank/investment accounts.
• Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall assume the duties of President in the absence or at the request of the President. The Vice President shall be responsible for the preparation and distribution of all meeting notices and all Association correspondence; for recording the mail received by the Association; and for the preparation of any correspondence from the Association. No correspondence purporting to represent the Association may be written on the letterhead of the Association or sent unless it has been approved by the President or the Executive Board and signed by the President and/or the Vice President. The Vice President shall receive a copy of and review all Association bank statements.
• Treasurer. The treasurer shall be responsible for management of the Association’s finances, including the maintenance of the Association’s financial books, records, checking, savings, and investment accounts; the deposit of Association money into the Association’s accounts; the maintenance of all deposit slips with appropriate identification of the sources of funds and a regularly updated record of income and expenditures. The Treasurer shall be one of the designated signatories on Association checks. The Treasurer shall prepare and present financial reports at all Association meetings, including the Annual Financial Report, which shall be presented at the October meeting. In addition, the Treasurer shall be responsible for insuring that all required filings, including federal, state and local income tax returns, are timely filed.
• Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall maintain the official records of the Association, including the minutes of all Membership and Executive Board meetings, notices, agendas, sign-in sheets, and materials distributed at such meetings. The Recording Secretary shall prepare the minutes of each Association membership and Executive Board meeting in time for review and approval at the next appropriate meeting, and shall make the minutes available, upon request, to any member of the Association. The Recording Secretary shall maintain custody of the books and reports of the Association, including the bylaws and all amendments to the bylaws, government filings, minutes, reports (including Annual Financial Reports), and shall ensure that the Association’s books and records are kept in good order.

School Leadership Team. The School Leadership team meets monthly. Parents serve for one year and the balance of parents and school staff must be equal. The elections for SLT members are held in June following the PA election.

 

THE BEACON SCHOOL PARENT ASSOCIATION BY LAWS

2016-2017

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this association shall be “The Beacon School Parent Association.” Hereinafter referred to as

the “Association.”

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES

The Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The objectives of the Association include:

(A) To support and enrich the educational goals of The Beacon School (“Beacon” or the “School”).

(B) To raise funds for materials and services that will help to insure that all Beacon students have access to and opportunities to benefit from a full and enriched public high school experience.

(C) To provide information and foster programs that will encourage and enable parents and guardians of Beacon students to become active, well-informed partners with the School’s administration and faculty in the education of their children.

(D) To provide a forum for parents and guardians of Beacon students to voice their concerns and views with regard to the continued development and improvement of the school.

(E) To foster cooperation and mutual respect among parents and between parents and School administration and faculty.

(F) To promote the ideals of equality and justice and appreciation of cultural diversity among students, teachers, administrators and parents.

(G) To advocate for Beacon and its students before all agencies and officials who have authority of influence over educational policy and/or resources, as well as in the New York community as a whole.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section I: Eligibility

All parents, guardians and parental surrogates currently enrolled in Beacon shall be members of the Association. Membership automatically begins when the child is registered in the school and shall be considered active at the beginning of the school year in which the child enters the school. Each member’s name shall be registered as a voting member of the Association, by virtue of being listed on the enrollment card filed in the office. Each member shall have one vote. While donations are accepted, no dues will be levied on any member. All meetings are open to all members and their quests, and all participants in a meeting are welcome to be involved in the discussions, though only voting members may be involved in decisions made by the group. The President will lead the meeting; ensuring items of the agenda are addressed and include participation of all members who raise their hands to speak. Minutes of the meeting will be maintained in the PA files. All meetings will be held in a Beacon common space.

Section 2: Membership Meetings.

(a) Minimum Number. There shall be a minimum of four regular membership meetings each year, one of which shall be held during the month of September, one in February, one in April, and one in May. Membership meetings shall be held only during periods when Beacon in session. Election of officers shall be held at the May meeting.

(b) Additional Meetings. Additional regular meetings of the members shall be held as determined by the Association’s Executive Board.

(c) Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President or the Executive Board to deal with matters of particular importance and urgency. Such meetings shall be held upon such expedited notice as is reasonable, with the notice stating the purpose of the specially called meeting. In addition, special meetings shall be called upon the written request of at least (10) members of the Association, which request shall state the purpose for which the meeting is sought. In the event of such a request, a special meeting shall be held no less than twenty-four (24) nor more than thirty (30) days after receipt of such request with notice of such special meeting and its purpose to be provided no less than five (5) days prior to the date scheduled for such meeting, or as close to those time periods as feasible. The agenda of any specially called meeting shall be limited to the matter(s) identified in the notice and/or written request for the meeting.

(d) Notice. At least 10 days prior notice of all regularly scheduled and requested meetings shall be provided to all members of the Association listed in the Association’s records. Notices may be provided by mail, email, and/or via Beacon’s website, or by any reasonable means.

(e) Quorum. The presence at any membership meeting of ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum, which shall be necessary for the conduct of any business meeting; however, a lesser number may adjourn the meeting for a period of not more than one month from the originally scheduled date and a notice of the rescheduled meeting shall be provided to the members.

(f) Voting. Each member of the Association shall be entitled to one vote on all business conducted at membership meetings.

(g) Proxies. There shall be no proxies or absentee voting permitted.

(h) Order of Business. The President, in consultation with the Executive Board, shall develop an agenda for each regular Membership meeting. The business of each membership meeting shall include:

(i) Review and approval of the minutes of the preceding meeting.

(ii) Committee Reports;

(iii) President’s Report;

(iv) Treasurer’s Report;

and such other old and new business as appears on the agenda or that the membership may want to address consistent with these bylaws.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Section 1: Titles

The officers of the Association shall include, at a minimum:

(a) President or Co-President (referred to herein as “President”)

(b) Vice President

(c) Treasurer

(d) Recording Secretary or Co-Secretaries

and, in addition to the above, may include:

(c) Assistant Treasurer

Section 2: Qualifications & Terms of Office

To be eligible for office, a candidate must:

(a) be a member of the Association;

(b) have attended at least one general membership meeting during the

current school year;

(c) no person shall be elected or continue to serve as an officer unless such person has a child enrolled in the school, and such person is not employed by Beacon.

(d) Officers shall hold office for a one-year term, from July 1 to June 30 of the following year, unless the position is currently vacant, in which case the position may be assumed directly after the election.

(e) No individual may hold the same position for more than two consecutive one year terms, except in cases when there are no other candidates for the position. This includes persons selected to fill a vacancy of one semester or more.

Section 3: Duties of Officers

(a) President. The President (or either Co-President) shall preside at all membership and Executive Board meetings of the Association and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee. The President shall attend general membership and executive committee meetings, prepare the agenda of such meetings, ensure that such meetings are effectively chaired, either by chairing the meeting or by delegating this responsibility. The President shall also oversee the work of the standing committee, sign checks when appropriate, prepare an article for the school newsletter concerning PA business and activities. He/she shall serve as delegate with full voting responsibilities to the PA Executive Committee, the building council (if any) of the building where Beacon is housed, District/Region Presidents Council, and Beacon’s School Leadership Team. The President shall assist with the June transfer of PA records to the incoming Executive Board. The President shall be designated as one of the signatories on the Association’s bank/investment accounts.

(b) Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall assume the duties of the President in the absence or at the request of the President. The Vice President shall attend general membership and executive committee meetings, assist the President, perform the duties of the President when the

chairperson is unavailable, and serve as delegate to building council and District/Region Presidents Council.

(c) Treasurer. The treasurer shall be responsible for management of the Association’s finance, including the maintenance of the Association’s financial books, records, checking, savings, and investment accounts; the deposit of Association money into the Association’s accounts; the maintenance of all deposit slips with appropriate identification of the sources of funds and a regularly updated record of income and expenditures. The Treasurer shall prepare and present financial reports at all Association meetings, including the Annual Financial Report, which shall be presented at the October meeting, and the June annual accounting reports. In addition, the Treasurer shall be responsible for insuring that all required filings, including state and local income tax returns, are timely filed. He/she shall prepare and assist the Secretary with the June transfer of all PA records to the incoming Executive Board.

(d) Assistant Treasurer. The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer in carrying out all of Treasurer’s responsibilities and may be a signatory on Association accounts.

(e) Secretary. The Secretary or Co-Secretaries shall maintain the official records of the Association, including the minutes of all Membership and Executive Board meetings, notices, agendas, sign-in sheets, and materials distributed at such meetings. The Recording Secretary shall prepare the minutes of each Association membership and Executive Board meeting in time for review and approval at the next appropriate meeting, and he/she shall maintain custody of the books and reports of the Association, including the bylaws and all amendments to the bylaws, government filings, minutes, reports (including Annual Financial Reports), and shall ensure that the Association’s books and records are kept in good order. The Secretary shall assist the treasurer with the June transfer of all PA records to the incoming Executive Board.

Section 5: Elections

(a) Nominating Committee

i. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members, one of whom shall be appointed by the President and two of whom shall be selected by the membership at the March

membership meeting.

ii. The Nominating Committee shall choose one of its members to serve as Chairperson.

iii. The Nominating Committee shall actively canvass the membership for recommendations of candidates for all positions. The Nominating Committee shall nominate

candidates for each officer position and for parent representatives and alternates on the School Leadership Team.

iv. Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be eligible to run for office. If, after a careful screening of all candidates, the Nominating Committee is unable to recommend a candidate for office, a member of the Committee may be considered if she/he resigns immediately from the Committee.

v. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a report of candidates for office and present that report at the April membership meeting.

vi. Prior to the April (no less than 10 calendar days) general membership meeting and announcement/notice shall be published in the school’s newsletter, with a notice sent home to members and posted on the school’s announcement bulletin board and thru email which states that nominations for PA officers will take place during the April general membership meeting. Nominations for officers shall be made by voting members verbally and seconded from the floor during the April general membership meeting. No person shall be nominated for or serve in more than one office at a time. All candidates will run for office as individuals. Slates of candidates will not be permitted.

(b) Additional Nominations

i. At the April membership meeting, members may submit additional nominations from the floor.

ii. Nominations shall be officially closed for all positions for which there is at least one nominee.

iii. Nominations shall remain open until the day of the election for any positions for which there are nominees theretofore.

(c) Time and Notice of Elections

i. Elections shall be held at the May general membership meeting.

ii. Notice of the May meeting shall state that elections are to be held at the May meeting and shall list all candidates in alphabetical order under the office for which they were nominated. The list of nominees shall, if feasible, be published in any forums of the Association that may exist at the time, including the Association newsletter and on the Beacon website. ‘

(d) Election and Use of Ballots

i. The Nominating Committee shall prepare written ballots and the Committee’s chair or his/her designee shall conduct the election.

ii. If more than one person has been nominated for any office, ballots prepared by the Nominating Committee shall be used and voting shall be secret and anonymous. Only association members may vote.

iii. Ballots shall be collected and counted by the Nominating Committee in the presence of the membership at the conclusion of the business of the May membership meeting.

iv. Ballots shall be retained for six months by the chair of the Nominating Committee. If she/he will no longer be an eligible member after June 30th, the ballots shall be turned over to the Recording Secretary.

v. In any uncontested election, the Recording Secretary may, with the approval of the members in attendance at the May membership meeting, cast as single vote, which shall serve to verify the election of that single office.

(c) Certification of Elections. When the final tally of votes is complete or when a single vote is cast in an uncontested election, the chairperson of Nominating Committee shall announce the results of the election. Any dispute over the results of an election shall be raised at the May member-ship meeting immediately following the announcement of the results and shall be resolved by majority vote of the Nominating Committee. Once the final tally of votes is complete and any disputes have been resolved, the incumbent Recording Secretary shall certify those results to be final and official.

Section 6: installation of Officers

Installation of officers shall take place at the June Membership meeting and a meeting between the outgoing and incoming officers shall be held prior to June 30, at which time the transfer of records of the Association shall occur. The President and Vice –President may, after having been elected, choose to serve as “Co-Presidents.” If they do so, the duties of those two offices will be divided between them.

Section 7: Vacancies.

(a) If any of the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Recording Secretary is unfilled by the May election, nominations and special elections for such unfilled position(s) shall be held during the following membership meeting. Such position(s) shall not be considered vacant unless and until it is not filled by a vote of the membership at the September membership meeting.

(b) A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled first by the Vice President.

(c) In the event a Co-President position becomes vacant, the remaining Co-President may, with the approval of the Executive Board, serve as President for the remainder of the term. If she/he declines to serve as President, the vacant Co-President position shall be filled by the Vice President.

(d) A vacancy occurring in any other office shall be filled by majority vote of the Executive Board at the first Executive Board meeting held after the vacancy occurs.

(e) Officers who wish to resign their positions once an election has been certified must do so in writing to the Recording Secretary or the President

(f) If any officer shall fail, without good cause, to attend three general membership meetings or three Executive Board meetings, the position held by such officer may be declared vacant by a two-thirds vote of a quorum present at any meeting of the Executive Board.

Section 8: Removal From Office.

Individuals will be removed from office if they become unable to fulfill the duties of the office due to health, disability, or changes in employment. If a child leaves the school permanently and enrolls in another school, the parent will forfeit membership in the PA and if serving on the executive board will be removed from office. Individuals will be removed from office if they are found guilty by the criminal justice system of criminal activity relating to their activities within the school. Individuals may also be removed from office for serious misconduct or neglect of duty by a vote of three-quarters of the entire Executive Board, provided that notice of the proposed remove has been included with the notice of that meeting distributed at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which the removal vote is to be held.

Article V – Executive Board

Section 1: Composition

The Executive Board shall be composed of the elected officers of the Association and the chairpersons (or co-chairpersons) of all standing committees.

Section 2: Responsibilities

(a) The Executive Board shall plan and executive the tasks necessary to conduct the business of the Association, to fulfill the Association’s objectives, and to implement the programs and policies adopted by the membership.

(b) The Executive Board shall approve, by majority vote, all committee chairpersons and the filling of all vacancies other than vacancies in the office of President or Co-President.

(c) The Executive Board shall have, by majority vote, the authority vote, the authority to spend up to $500 without the prior approval of the membership. Such expenditures shall be reported by the Treasurer at the next regular membership meeting.

Section 3: Meetings

(a) Regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held monthly on dates to be determined by the Board. Meetings will take place from September through June. Meetings during July and August shall be optional.

(b) A schedule of Executive Board meetings shall be prepared by the Board and, to the extent feasible, such schedule shall be published in the Association’s newsletter and/or general mailings and/or posted on Beacon’s website.

(c) Each Association officer shall have one vote; each standing committee shall be entitled to one vote, which shall be exercisable by the committee’s chair or cochairs.

(d) Upon written request by at least three Executive Board members, the President shall call an Executive Board meeting within 10 days of receipt of the request. The Corresponding Secretary shall notify all members of the Executive Board at least three days prior to the scheduled date of the requested meeting.

(e) Meetings of the Executive Board shall be open to all Association members. All participants in the meeting are welcome to be involved in discussion, though only the Executive Board members may be involved in decisions made by the group. The chairperson will lead the meeting; if at all possible the Principal/Director will be in attendance. All meetings will be held in a Beacon common space.

Section 4: Quorum

A majority of the members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum and shall be necessary for the conduct of any Executive Board business, although a lesser number may adjourn the meeting to another date.

Article VI – Committees and School Leadership Team

Section 1: Standing Committees

The following shall be the Standing Committees of the Association:

(a) Fundraising

(b) Communications

Section 2: Ad Hoc Committees

The Executive Board may create such ad hoc committee, as it deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the business and objectives of the Association. Ad hoc committees shall include a grant-writing committee and a hospitality committee.

Section 3: Appointment and Voting

(a) Each standing and ad hoc committee chair and co-chair shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

(b) Each Standing Committee chair shall be a voting member of the Executive Board. Each Standing Committee shall be entitled to one vote on the Executive Board, exercisable by the chair or co-chairs of the Standing Committee.

Section 4: Responsibilities of Committee Chairs

It shall be the responsibility of each committee chair to: schedule meetings as necessary; notify committee members of meetings and assign tasks; maintain accurate records of activities, income and expenses of the committee; and report regularly to the Executive Board and the general membership.

Section 5: School Leadership Team

(a) Composition. There shall be four parent representatives, one of whom shall be the Association President or a Co-President, who shall be elected by the membership at the May Membership meeting. Any member of the Association, including officers and Standing Committee Chairs, may serve on the SLT.

(b)Vacancies. A vacancy in parent representatives on the SLT shall be filled by election by the membership at the first membership meeting following the occurrence of the vacancy.

(c)Responsibilities. SLT representatives shall represent parent interests on the SLT and shall periodically report to the Executive Board and the membership on SLT activities and shall solicit parent concerns and suggestions and voice those concerns and suggestions to the SLT.

Article VII – Financial Affairs

Section 1: Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall run from July 1 through June 30.

Section 2: Budget

(a) The Executive Board shall prepare a written review of prior year’s budget and a proposed budget for the current school year. Such review and proposed budget shall be presented for review of the membership at the September membership meeting.

(b) The members shall adopt the Association’s budget for the current school year at the September membership meeting.

Section 3: Annual Accounting

(a) At the September membership meeting, the Executive Board shall present to the membership an annual financial accounting of the Association’s income and expenditures, which shall have been reviewed by an independent auditor.

(b) A copy of the annual accounting report shall be maintained in the Association’s records.

Section 4: June Transfer of Records

The outgoing PA Executive Board shall arrange for the orderly transfer of records and information of the PA, which shall include an overview of all PA transactions for the school year, the incoming Executive Board. At least one meeting will be scheduled during the month of June for this purpose.

Section 5: Dissolution

Upon dissolution of the Association, the Executive Board shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all liabilities of the Association, dispose of all assets of the

Association exclusively for the purpose of the Association in such manner, or such other organization or organizations that are operated exclusively for the charitable, educational or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Executive Board shall determine.

Article VIII – Parliamentary Authority

All procedural questions not covered by these bylaws shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, New Revised.

Article IX – Approval and Amendments

(a) These bylaws shall become effective when approved by the membership at a general membership meeting.

(b) These bylaws shall be reviewed at least every three years and may be amended at any regular meeting of the general membership of the PA by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided that the amendment has been presented and at the meeting immediately preceding the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.