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Steps for Electing Your PAC Representatives to the School Planning Council

Through School Planning Councils, parents are partners with educators and students in planning for improvement of student achievement in our schools.

Every SPC includes three representatives of the school PAC. These representatives are elected annually by secret ballot by the PAC. Each PAC rep must be a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school. One of the reps must be an elected officer of the PAC.

To participate effectively in planning, it is important to choose the three PAC representatives to the SPC carefully. On this page, you will find the following steps. Click on these anchors to go directly to a step ~

• Updating your PAC's bylaws
• Defining the attributes and skills of PAC representatives to the SPC
• Electing your representatives by secret ballot    

Updating Your PAC’s Bylaws

The School Act requires PACs to have bylaws governing the election of PAC representatives to the SPC. [School Act, s. 8(5)(b)]

BCCPAC recommends that your bylaws contain the following:

To participate in the work of the school planning council through the PAC’s elected representatives

  

[See BCCPAC's Sample Constitution and Bylaws for PACs and DPACs. Click here for the appropriate section of the sample constitution (Section II, Purposes of the Council, purpose #4).]

a)	Three representatives to the school planning council must be elected annually from among the voting members who are not employees or elected officials of any school board. One of these representatives must be an elected member of the PAC executive. [School Act, s. 8.1(3)(c), (4) and (7)]

  

[See BCCPAC's Sample Constitution and Bylaws for PACs and DPACs. Click here for the appropriate section of the sample bylaws (Section VI, 1. School Planning Council representatives).]

  

Note: To meet the above requirement, one of the PAC representatives to the SPC may already hold an executive position, or you may modify your PAC bylaws to create an additional executive position called “PAC Executive Representative to the SPC”.

  

b)	The election of representatives to the school planning council must be by secret ballot. [School Act, s. 8(6)]

  

[See BCCPAC's Sample Constitution and Bylaws for PACs and DPACs. Click here for the appropriate section of the sample bylaws (Section VI, 3. Election of SPC and DPAC representatives).]

The school planning council representatives will

  

a)	attend all meetings of the school planning council (SPC)
b)	represent, speak, and vote on behalf of the PAC at SPC meetings
c)	>request and take direction from the PAC membership and executive
d)	be strong advocates for meaningful parent involvement in the school and school planning
e)	provide a written report to all general and executive meetings
f)	attend general and executive meetings as directed by the membership or executive
g)	submit an annual report

  

[See BCCPAC's Sample Constitution and Bylaws for PACs and DPACs. Click here for the appropriate section of the sample bylaws (Section VIII, H. School Planning Council representatives will).]

Defining the Attributes and Skills of PAC Representatives to the SPC

Your PAC representatives to the SPC are parent leaders representing the PAC in the important job of school planning. Before you hold your election, discuss the attributes and skills you expect of your representatives to enable them to participate effectively in the work of the SPC.

Suggested attributes:

• respectful, reliable, collaborative, courteous
• a team player—understands and believes in being inclusive and representative
• committed to improving student achievement through meaningful parent involvement in school planning and goal setting
• willing to represent the PAC’s views even if those views differ from their own
• committed to taking direction from the PAC membership and executive
• interested in learning new skills and willing to take training

Suggested skills:

• an effective listener and speaker
• can write timely, accurate, and concise reports
• comfortable with numerical data
• comfortable presenting a point of view that may differ from their own and others’ at a meeting
• able to ask difficult questions     

Electing Your Representatives by Secret Ballot

The School Act requires PACs to elect representatives to the SPC and DPAC by secret ballot, called a “ballot vote”. [School Act, s. 8(6)]

Click here for Conducting an Election or Vote by Secret Ballot.

Note: The procedure described in this Practice Note can be adapted for any election or vote by secret ballot, and can be used by PACs, DPACs, and SPCs.