Families Hold Key Roles in School Leadership — Get Involved!
Serving on or attending meetings of your School Site Council or other school leadership committees is a great way to better understand your school’s priorities and represent the values and concerns of families as important decisions are made about school programs and budgets.
October is the month when many schools hold elections for their School Site Councils (SSCs) and English Learner Advisory Committees (ELACs). Every school in SFUSD is required to have an elected School Site Council to represent parents, students, community members, and school staff in the school governance process. Most SFUSD schools also have ELACs - they are required by law at schools with 21 or more students who are designated as English Learners. SSC and ELAC meetings are open to the public and a meeting notice and agenda should be posted before every meeting so the school community knows what topics will be discussed.
View this ed100.org lesson: https://ed100.org/blog/school-site-councils.
In addition to SSCs and ELACs, many schools have additional leadership bodies such as African American Parent Advisory Groups or Councils (AAPAGs or AAPACs), Early Education Family Councils, and groups focused on inclusion and meeting the needs of students receiving special education services. Running for a seat on an elected council, or simply attending and participating in meetings of these leadership and advisory bodies is a great way to support your school community and help ensure that when important decisions about programs and funding are made, those decisions are informed by input that includes the diverse needs and experiences of families and students at the school.
Here is an overview of the yearly process school leadership councils take part in.
Want more information about SSCs and ELACs? Here are a few resources.
Ed100.org “How do School Site Councils Work?”
California Department of Education information on ELACs
Have more specific questions? Drop us a line.
PPS-SF has many years of experience working closely with families and school sites in developing strong and inclusive practices to support the work of their leadership committees. You can reach us at info@ppssf.org.