POLICY COUNCIL BY-LAWS

Transcription

1 Shasta Head Start Child Development, Inc. POLICY COUNCIL BY-LAWS Article I Name of Organization The name of this body shall be Shasta Head Start Child Development, Inc. (SHS) Policy Council. Article II Purpose The Purpose of this body is to: Be responsible for establishing policy for the SHS program, including program design and operation, and long and short-term planning goals and objectives, taking into account the annual community-wide strategic planning and needs assessment and the self-assessment. Article III Responsibilities The PC shall approve and submit to the governing body decisions about each of the following activities: a. Activities to support the active involvement of parents in supporting program operations, including policies to ensure that the SHS agency is responsive to community and parent needs. b. Criteria for defining recruitment, selection, and enrollment priorities. c. Application for funding and amendments to funding applications for SHS. d. Procedures for program planning, including, community assessment, selfassessment and program philosophy and goals. e. Budget planning for program expenditures, including polices for reimbursements and participation in PC activities. f. Development of procedures for how members of the PC of SHS will be elected. g. By-laws for the operation of the PC. h. Program personnel policies and decisions regarding the employment of program staff, including standards of conduct for program staff, contractors and volunteers and criteria for the employment and dismissal of program staff. Policy Council will perform the following functions directly: a. Serve as a link to the Parent Committees, governing bodies, and the communities they serve. b. Assist Parent Committees in communicating with parents enrolled in the HS/EHS program to ensure they understand their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities in the HS program and to encourage their participation in the program. Page 1 of 7

2 c. Assist Parent Committees in planning, coordinating, and organizing parent activities for parents with the assistance of staff, and ensuring that funds set aside from program budgets are used to support parent activities. d. Assist in recruiting volunteer services from the communities in which they live. e. Approve and/or disapprove various actions for submission to the Board of Directors. f. Jointly with the Board of Directors, establish and maintain procedures to resolve community complaints about the program, resolve internal disputes, including impasse procedures. Article IV Membership: Composition and Formation Representatives: a. Center-based: Each center-based site will have one representative and one alternate. b. Home-based: One representative and alternate for each geographic site. Representatives shall be democratically elected during the center committee meeting by currently enrolled parents as early in the program year as possible. c. Criteria for membership includes: Active parent participation in the SHS program; Willing to contribute time and effort to the program and serve as mentors and role models to other parents. Willingness to make presentations of one s qualifications and interests in serving on the Policy Council. Alternates: a. Each representative shall have at least one alternate. b. Representatives will inform SHS if they cannot attend a Policy Council meeting, and SHS will contact the alternate to ensure representation. c. Alternates may be appointed to committees. d. Alternates are encouraged to attend meetings of the Policy Council. e. Alternate status constitutes membership and is limited to the 3-year term requirement in the stated article. Community Representatives: The current members of the PC must approve the recommendations and may vote to seat no more than 33% community representatives. Community representatives will be chosen according to interest and recommendations of PC. At SHS, up to three (3) community representatives shall be seated to fairly represent all communities served. The community representatives shall come from among local agencies, schools, service organizations or other concerned citizens of the area, and may include parents of children who were formerly enrolled in SHS. Term will be one (1) year and up to two (2) additional terms may be approved by PC. Page 2 of 7

3 Article V Meetings Annual and Regular Meetings Policy Council meetings will be held monthly September-August (except July). Special Meetings Special meetings and Executive Committee meetings will be scheduled as needed. A special meeting may be called by PC Chair or Executive Director. Members of the PC must be notified of special meetings not less than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the special meeting. No other business or discussion may be transacted or entertained at special meetings of the PC, excepting that business and/or discussion for which the special meeting was called. Quorum For the purpose of transacting the business of the PC at any annual, regular or special meeting, a quorum of the PC shall be necessary. A quorum shall be a majority of present PC members. Meeting Reimbursement Each eligible PC member may receive assistance for child care and transportation costs associated with attendance at PC meetings as established by the agency. Conduct of the Meetings Robert s Rules of Order will guide the conduct of the PC meetings. Joint Meetings Joint meetings between the PC and the SHS Board of Director s will be held at least twice annually. Article VI Notice of Meetings Notice All meetings shall be announced in writing, for regular or special meetings. The notices shall state the time, date, location of the meeting and the agenda. There shall be at least five (5) days notice given for all meetings. Notifications of emergency special meetings may be given by telephone. Meetings may be canceled by telephone due to unforeseen circumstances. Notices shall be posted on parents bulletin board at each site in the primary language of the parents to the greatest extent possible. Place of Meetings Time, date and place will be determined by PC members annually at the orientation of the new Policy Council. Page 3 of 7

4 Article VII Officers Officers The Officers of the Policy Council shall be chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Secretary. Election of Officers: The officers of the Policy Council shall be nominated by Policy Council members and elected by secret written ballot at each center by parents for a one week period. Elected officers will serve a one year term from January to December. Newly nominated officers must be current PC representatives and parents or guardians in the program. Current officers may run for one second consecutive term only. Vacancy: A vacancy in any office, because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise may be filled by popular vote of the Policy Council for the unexpired portion of the term. Chairperson The Chairperson will convene all meetings and preside over them, maintaining order at all times. She/he shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee, and can be an ex-officio member of all standing committees. Will act as liaison to and is a voting member of the Board of Directors. Vice Chairperson The Vice Chair will understand the duties of the Chairperson and act as chair in the event that the chair is absent or unable to perform his/her duties. Secretary The secretary or authorized representative will record or cause to be recorded full and complete records of the attendance and proceedings of the meetings of the Policy Council and see that all notices of meetings are sent out to all members. Article VIII Term Limits Membership on Policy Council is limited to a combined total of three (3) one year terms. Article IX Voting Rights Each PC representative shall be entitled to one (1) vote on each matter. Alternates may vote in the absence of the member for whom they are the alternate. Article X Filling Vacancies Any vacancy on the Policy Council shall be filled by the alternate. If the alternate is unavailable, a new member will be selected as in previous election procedures. Membership for a portion of the year is considered one full program year regarding term limitation. Page 4 of 7

5 Article XI Resignation Any member may resign by verbal notification through his/her local parent committee or program staff. A letter of resignation may be submitted to the Policy Council thereafter. Article XII Termination of Membership Any class of representative with two (2) consecutive unexcused absences from a regularly scheduled Policy Council meeting will be automatically dismissed from the Policy Council. The position will be filled according to Section VIII - Vacancy. An "excused absence" is any absence from a regularly scheduled meeting when contact is made with the Parent Involvement staff prior to the meeting. If a Policy Council representative fails to follow the PC code of conduct (Attachment A) that representative s membership may be terminated by 2/3's of the votes of the seated members of the Policy Council whenever, in its judgment, the best interest of the Head Start program would be served. Article XIII Conflict of Interest Members of the Policy Council shall: a. Not have a financial conflict of interest with Shasta Head Start; examples of conflict of interest include, but are not limited to, situations in which a PC member: Negotiates or approves a contract, purchase, or lease on behalf of SHS and has a direct or indirect interest in, or receives, personal benefit from, the entity or individual providing the goods or services; Negotiates or approves a contract, sale or lease on behalf of SHS and has a direct or indirect interest in, or receives personal benefit from, the entity or individual receiving the goods or services; Sells products or services in competition with SHS; or Uses SHS facilities, other assets, employees, or other resources for personal gain. b. Not receive compensation for serving on the PC or for providing services to Shasta Head Start. c. Not be employed, nor shall members of their immediate family be employed by Shasta Head Start. Page 5 of 7

6 Article XIV Committees Program Committees: A variety of program committees are maintained by SHS in order for parents, staff, BOD and community members to determine and/or review program goals and objectives, assess services being provided, advise in developing and implementing program policies, activities, and services, as well as to plan, conduct and participate in programs and activities for parents and staff. All SHS parents, as well as relevant community members are invited to attend. Other Task Forces are: Community Assessment Task Force: Meets several times during the program year to give input for the planning and writing of the Community Assessment and yearly updates as needed. Education and Transition Advisory Committee (ETAC): Meets at least 2 times annually to plan and address issues regarding the educational approach to child development in SHS; and, to plan and to address issues regarding the transition of children from EHS to HS, and from HS to the public school system. Health Advisory Committee (HAC): Meets four times annually to plan and discuss health issues as they relate to children 0-5 in the SHS program. This committee will also act as the special needs advisory committee (SNAC). SNAC will provide planning and guidance for issues regarding the provision of services for children with special needs. Self Assessment Committee: Meets in January and February of each program year to conduct a comprehensive, in-house assessment of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Policy Council By-Laws Committee: Policy Council By-Laws must be reviewed every three years. The committee shall be composed of the parents, Policy Council members and staff selected by the Policy Council. Priority and Selection Committee: Meets at least one time per year to consider criteria for selection and enrollment of Head Start children. Budgeting Committee: This committee will give input and recommendations for preparation and approval of budget prior to the submission of grant application. Personnel Committee: This committee shall be convened at the beginning of the new Policy Council term for the purpose of parents serving on hiring committees throughout the year in order to have input to the hiring process. Executive Committee: This committee will consist of Policy Council Officers. Duties: Emergency meetings and summer business decisions made. Page 6 of 7

7 Special Committees: Special Committees shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Policy Council as the need arises. By-Laws Amendment: These By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership of the Policy Council present and voting, providing that: All proposals to amend these By-Laws will be submitted in open sessions at a regular meeting of the Policy council. Proposals to amend these By- Laws must originate at least one full calendar month prior to the final balloting and acceptance or rejection of the proposals. Written notice of the intention to amend these By-Laws are to be forwarded to members of the Policy Council at least five (5) calendar days prior to the regular meeting when balloting is to take place. The notice of intention to ballot upon amendments shall include the specific Articles, Sections, or Sub-Sections to be balloted upon, and further that the specific language of the amendments and/or alterations be included in the notice of intention to amend. No balloting on By-Laws amendments may take place excepting at a regular meeting of the Policy Council. Any amendments must also be approved by the Head Start Governing Board. Policy Council-Board of Directors Adopted: Policy Council By-Laws Board of Directors: Signature Date Policy Council: Signature Date Page 7 of 7