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| James L. Garvey Parent Information Center |
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| CPPAC |
What is the CPPAC?
CPPAC is an advisory council to the Administration and School
Committee of the Worcester Public Schools. The council is made up of parents who represent
the schools that their children attend. The official explanation of the council is:
"In order that the parents of children in the Worcester
Public Schools may have a means of communication with each other and with the School
Administration, the Superintendent of the Worcester Public Schools, with the authorization
of the Worcester School Committee, has organized a parent
participation organization called the Citywide Parent Planning Advisory Council."
What does the CPPAC do?
The CPPAC currently has two goals:
Create and maintain a means of communication among parents, teachers and administrators.
Promote an environment of understanding and common purpose so that the best education may
be offered to all children.
In an effort to reach it’s goals. The CPPAC reviews, through
monthly meetings, a number of issues that have a "city-wide" effect on the
Worcester Public School System. The CPPAC does not act as a grievance committee for
individual student or school related issues.
Who conducts the CPPAC meetings?
The meetings are conducted by the CPPAC’s
"Co-chairpersons". The Co-Chairs are elected for two year terms by the CPPAC
members. Each year one co-chair is elected. During their first year as an officer of the
CPPAC they are known as the "Junior Co-Chairperson" and during their second year
they are known as the "Senior Co-Chairperson". The only difference between the
two positions is that the Senior Co-Chair is designated as the group’s spokesperson
to the press on behalf of the group. The junior Co-Chair is the alternate spokesperson.
Who attends the CPPAC meetings?
CPPAC meetings are open to the public. Every meeting is advertised
in the local paper. The meetings are usually attended by a number of representatives from
the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Administration and School Committee members, along with
parents, teachers and principals from a number of different schools.
Who are the members?
The CPPAC is made up of two (2) parent representatives from each one
of the Worcester Public Schools. The parent representatives may be selected by the School
Site Council or Parent Organization with the endorsement of the school’s principal.
If possible, it is suggested that one representative be a member of the school’s Site
Council and the other representative be a member of the Parent Teacher Organization.
Can members represent more than one school?
Yes. One member can represent a maximum of two schools. The member
must have a child currently enrolled in each one of the schools. This is allowed, but not
encouraged due to the fact that, although the member may be representing two schools, they
are only allowed one vote. This limits individual school input and may also lead to
conflicts on specific items being addressed.
What are a member’s responsibilities?
The core responsibility of each member is to represent their
school(s) at the CPPAC meetings. In their role as liaison, each member is expected to
maintain a line of communication between the CPPAC and their school’s principal, Site
Council and most importantly, parents. You should establish these lines of communication
with the assistance and approval of your principal.
A member’s responsibility to the CPPAC is:
Attend all meetings - if you do not represent your school, it’s parents and most
importantly it’s students lose input on important issues. If you are unable to attend
a meeting, you should notify your principal to allow them the opportunity to schedule
an alternate. At a minimum, ensure that your school’s other CPPAC representative is
scheduled to attend.
Be on time - being late is better then not attending at all, but arriving late may
cause you to miss an important issue and cause a disruption to the meeting which is
already in progress.
Participate - your input is important to your school and the group as a whole.
Listen - Give other members the same courtesy you expect.
Comply with the rules - a summary of the CPPAC rules is included in this booklet. The
"rules" have been extracted from the group’s by-laws and other sources which assist the
group in conducting an effective and timely meeting.
When are the meetings?
Meetings are normally held at 7 PM on the first Tuesday of each
month that school is in session. Most meetings last for approximately two (2) hours.
Where are the meeting held?
Meetings are held at the Elm Park Community School which is located
on 23 North Ashland Street, Worcester, MA.
Directions – North Ashland Street is the street aside of the
Tortilla Sams on Highland Street. Highland Street runs from Main Street (at Lincoln Square –
next to the courthouse), across Park Avenue and ends at Pleasant Street and Newton
Square.
What other information and "rules" should members know?
The structure and specific rules of the CPPAC are documented in the council’s Bylaws.
A copy of the bylaws can be obtained through your school’s principal or the CPPAC’s
recording secretary.
The CPPAC meetings are conducted using formal parliamentary procedures. Although somewhat
more relaxed, the procedures are extracted from "Roberts Rules" of Parliamentary Procedures.
A summary of the procedures would reflect:
Members can only speak when recognized by the chairperson. To be recognized, you should raise
your school card (this will be issued to you when you sign in) until called on by the chair.
A request (to address an issue, take a vote, adjourn the meeting, etc.) is made in the form
of a "motion". A second person must agree ("second") the motion and the entire group must
discuss it before it can be voted upon.
The co-chairs are responsible for enforcing the proper procedures. Therefore, it is not
required that you memorize these procedures. If, at any time, you feel that you or your
request is not being fairly addressed/treated, you may ask for a "Point of Order" at which
time the chair must review the rules surrounding it’s actions.
The CPPAC will break up into smaller groups called sub-committees to address specific issues
and/or tasks. Current sub-committees are listed on the CPPAC agenda. For an explanation of
the sub-committees, please see one of the co-chairs.
What else?
Not much! Basically, you’ll learn as you go, similar to
"on-the-job" training. The important thing is that you come! Your contribution
will benefit the group, our school system and most importantly our children.
Sample Agenda Topics
Call to order
Approval of minutes of preceding meeting
Sub-Committee meetings - Twenty minutes
Guest speaker / Presentation - Thirty minutes
Correspondence
Sub-Committee reports - Thirty minutes
Old Business
New Business
Additional Business
Next meeting date
Adjournment
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© 2008-2009 Worcester Public Schools. All Rights Reserved.
20 Irving Street, Worcester, MA 01609-2493
Designed by Mohammed Siddiqui & Maintained by Karen Norton
This page was last modified on 6/18/2008
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