If you want to take a more active role in your child's public school education, there are several ways to get involved.

On this page: Parents' Associations | School Leadership Teams | Title l teams | Community Education Councils

Parents' Associations

If you're interested in rolling up your sleeves and bringing about positive change in your school, consider getting involved in your PTA (Parent Teacher Association) or Parents Association (PA). PAs do much more than hold the odd bake sale. They write grants to bring in added funding, arrange workshops for parents on curriculum, or help coordinate after-school programs, for example.

Every public school must have a parents association, which functions as semi-independent organization, run by parents but supported by the school. A PA can be creative with its activities as long as they support the educational, social or cultural programs of schools.

If you are already involved in your school's PA, but have questions about how it is supposed to work, there is a 50- page regulation on parents' associations.

If you have time to volunteer in your child's classroom, and the classroom teacher welcomes your participation, great. Some schools limit parent volunteers to other children's classes and some think a parent's place is outside the classroom entirely. One way to become a volunteer in your child's school or any public school in the city is to sign up for training with Learning Leaders, an organization with volunteers in hundreds of New York City schools. Through Learning Leaders you can get an ID badge (needed for access to the schools) and placement in school volunteer positions.

School Leadership Teams

School Leadership Teams (SLTs) bring together parents, administrators, and teachers to create the school's education plan and write its budget. Representation on the team must be balanced: 50% parents, 50% school personnel. Required members of the team include the school principal; the chapter leader from the teachers' union, the United Federation of Teachers; and the PA president. Other members are chosen by election. SLTs consult with the principal on developing school budgets. They also develop or revise the school's Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP), a document written yearly that spells out the educational direction of the school.

*In 2007, the chancellor's regulation that governs SLTs, A-655, was revised to give authority to the principal to make final determinations on the CEP. The New York State Commissioner of Education reversed that change on Dec. 31, 2008 and stipulated that the regulation's language be revised. (The current regulation may not yet reflect the Commissioner's decision.)

SLT members can also create special opportunities for their school. For example, parents on the leadership team may apply for a grant to win funds for art workshops for parents and kids.

How effectively these teams work and how meaningfully parents are involved in the teams depends on the school. Many school teams flourish, but many parents complain that their team meetings are not taken seriously by principals who continue to make decisions on their own. If you are an SLT member who feels parents are not valued members of the team, there are groups who can help empower parents on the team. Start with your district's family advocate and then, if necessary, reach out to the central Office of Family Engagement and Advocacy, which holds training sessions for SLT members. SLT meetings are required to be open to the school community and non-member parents may attend although they may not vote.

Title I teams

Title I teams, or advisory councils, are required in schools that receive Title I money - federal funds for schools that have many low-income students. These teams are made up of parents whose children are participating in the programs. The teams are charged with planning how to use the funds for school-wide programs and to help develop the Title I program's parent involvement policy. Teams also help to establish the Title I budget and participate in the development and evaluation of their schools. Because the law allows School Leadership Teams to take on the role of Title I teams, many schools choose to combine the two groups into one SLT.

Community District Education Councils

Community District Education Councils (informally referred to as CEC's) are boards made up mostly of parents, designed to address elementary and middle school concerns within a community school district. The councils - one for each of the 32 school districts - are made up of nine parent members elected by PA officers from the elementary and middle schools in the district, two community members appointed by the borough president, and one non-voting high school student member chosen by the district superintendent. They meet with and evaluate the district superintendent and instructional leaders assigned to district schools. They must also approve district zoning plans and review the capital plan for their district. CEC's hold monthly meetings open to the public. They may hold hearings at which parents are invited to testify or invite school officials to make presentations about school policies.

In addition to the district councils there are two citywide education councils, one for high schools and one for citywide special education programs.

The Citywide High School Council is composed of ten parents of high school students, selected by high school PA officers for two-year terms, and one high school student selected by the Chancellor, as recommended by the Chancellor's Student Advisory Council, for a one-year term. The council is charged with preparing an annual report on the effectiveness of public high school education in New York City, including recommendations for improvement

The Citywide Council on Special Education has nine parents of students receiving citywide special education services, selected by District 75 PA officers for a two year term, two Public Advocate appointees, and a non-voting District 75 high school senior appointed by the superintendent of District 75 for a one-year-term. Members of the CCSE are required to issue an annual report on the effectiveness of special education services and make recommendations for improvement.

For more information and a list of current CEC members see the Office Of Parent Engagement page on the Department of Education's website.