Community Education Councils, or CECs, allow for parent involvement on a district-wide level. Responsible for approving school zoning lines and hold hearings on capital plans, they also function as advisory bodies, identifying educational priorities in their districts, evaluating superintendents, advising the Chancellor and the Panel for Educational Policy, and serving as liaisons to School Leadership Teams (SLTs) and Presidents' Councils. In fact, a number of CECs work in tandem with their districts' Presidents' Councils, hosting workshops for parent leaders and parents generally -- on topics such as special education and grant writing. CECs, Presidents' Councils, receive funds that can be used for food during meetings.
There are 32 CECs, one for each of the community school districts. Each has eleven voting members. Nine parents of students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, or in a pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) program in a school or program in the community school district; one of these parents must have a child who has or had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and another must be a parent of a student who is or has been an English Language Learner (ELL). Two community members who are appointed by the Borough President. A student member, a high school senior, is appointed by the community superintendent and is a nonvoting member.
Parents seeking to serve on a CEC must submit an application online (see the information from the DOE below).
A parent of a student is eligible to vote for the CEC in that district.
CEC meetings, which are held at least every month, are open to the public.