Every school must have a school council—a committee of elected parents/guardians,
community representatives, staff and sometimes students. School councils
have an advisory role. They help to provide the community voice and
parent/guardian perspective on important school topics.
Why join school council?
Serving
on school council is a way to have a direct and positive impact on your
child's educational experience. Research shows that when parents/guardians are
involved in their child's education, the level of student achievement
increases.
How do I get involved?
School council
meetings are open to the public, so anyone can attend meetings without
being an elected member of school council.
School council elections take place each fall.
For
more information about joining school council, speak to your principal
or a current school council member. Attending meetings is a great way to
learn about the work of school council before running for election.
Boost your school council's effectiveness
School
council members are elected to represent the school community. School
council meetings are not the place to address individual concerns. School
councils discuss broader topics, such as the School Action Plan, new
programs or initiatives, student well-being, student achievement and
school-wide fundraising activities.
Learn more to improve your effectiveness
The Parent Involvement Committee runs
an annual orientation event for school council members. This is a
chance to get to know your Parent Involvement Committee representative,
meet other school council members, gather important information and ask
questions.
Parents Reaching Out Grants
Ontario's Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants encourage parent/guardian engagement at the local, regional and provincial levels. School councils can apply for PRO grants for school projects, events and parent/guardian organizations, Parent Involvement Committees (PICs), school boards, non-profit organizations and post secondary institutions can apply for PRO grants for regional/provincial projects.
Resources
The Ministry of Education School Council Guide has tips and tools to help you run effective meetings and support student success through parent/guardian involvement.
The SCDSB Fundraising Resource Guide was developed to support fundraising. It includes information and ideas regarding fundraising opportunities, details on policies that apply to school fundraising activities and ideas to promote healthy fundraising.
Policy 4310 - School Councils
APM 7200 - School Council
Planning Parent Engagement: A Guidebook for Parents and Schools
This guidebook, produced by the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE), provides examples of useful exercises and techniques to help increase parent/guardian engagement and support.
Parent Tool Kit: What parents can do to help their child succeed in school
This tool kit, also produced by CODE, provides ideas for families to use as they support learning at school and at home.