Become an EPCA Director

Parents' Committees

Two EPCA Directors are chosen by members of the Parent Committee. These positions are nominated and elected at the first Parents’ Committee meeting or parents AGA in their respective school boards (usually held in October). EPCA Directors are the official representatives for their school board’s Parents’ Committee. They participate in Board of Directors meetings and contribute their experience and expertise through EPCA sub-committees. The term of office of EPCA Director is a two-year term.

While each Parents’ Committee may have different criteria for selection of its directors, typically this is done by secret ballot at the Parents’ Committee General Assembly at the beginning of the school year. EPCA is not directly involved in the selection of directors and welcomes with deep respect the choice of each Parents’ Committee and the knowledge and experience that these representatives bring from each school board.

EPCA directors typically have at least 2 years of experience at the Parents Committee level and have significant knowledge of the educational and political issues facing English-language school boards in Quebec. A good working relationship with other partner groups is also an asset. Being an EPCA director requires a big-time commitment, parents interested in becoming part of EPCA should keep this in mind.

General Assembly

There is one general assembly meeting, held no later than December. Directors have full voting and speaking rights at the general assembly and are encouraged to attend and contribute. For directors from some member school boards, this requires a significant commitment in terms of travel and time. EPCA reimburses appropriate travel and living expenses, as outlined in its Financial Reimbursement Policy.

Meetings of the Board of Directors

Meetings of the EPCA Board of Directors take place in Montreal, or virtually. Typically on one Saturday each month. For directors from some member school boards, this may require a significant commitment in terms of travel and time. EPCA reimburses appropriate travel expenses for directors, as outlined in its Financial Reimbursement Policy.

Legislation

The public school network of Québec is mainly governed by the Education Act. This law determines the student’s rights, the role and responsibilities of school boards, direction of schools and teachers. Moreover, it is within this law that are defined the different school structures in which the Federation invites parents to get involved. Furthermore, many regulations specify the elements of the law.

What is parent governance?

As outlined in the Education Act, R.S.Q. Chapter I-13.3, parents have a very important role to play in governance at your local school and at the school board. Our schools depend on the contributions of parents to operate, working in tandem with the administration and teachers to provide the best learning environment for our children.

School Governing Board

Each year, every school holds a general assembly of parents to elect representatives to the Governing Board. From the elected parents, the general assembly elects a delegate and alternate delegate to the Parents’ Committee (or in the case of school boards divided into administrative regions, the Regional Parents’ Committee. The Governing Board approves issues such as the educational project and success plan, subject time allocations, the school budget and is also consulted on textbooks, instructional materials and school closings.

What is a Governing Board?

Each school has a Governing Board, established in by virtue of the Education Act. It is composed of the principal, parents, teachers, representatives of both the non-teaching professionals and support staff, daycare (elementary), students (cycle II high school), and community representatives who work in partnership to ensure that all students receive the best possible learning opportunities. While the size of the Governing Board may vary, there are an equal number of parents and school staff. Meetings of the Governing Board are open to the public.

What are the powers and functions of the Governing Board?

The powers and functions of the Governing Board are related to four areas: general, educational services, community services and physical and financial resources. The following outlines the responsibilities in each area and identifies the related sections in the Education Act.

GENERAL FUNCTIONS AND POWERS

analyses the school’s situation and, based on the analysis and the school board’s strategic plan, adopts the educational project and oversees its implementation and periodic evaluation (s. 74)
approves the school’s success plan and the Management & Educational Success Agreement (MESA), rules of conduct and safety measures (s. 75 and 76)
establishes the principles for determining the cost of documents in which students write, draw or cut out and approves a list of materials such as pencils, paper, etc. (s. 77.1 and 7)
advises the school board on certain matters (s. 78 and 79)
may pool goods and services or activities with other schools (s. 80)
prepares and adopts an annual activity report and transmits a copy to the school board (s. 82)
informs the community of the services provided by the school, makes public the educational project, the success plan and the Management & Educational Success Agreement (MESA) of the school, and distributes to parents and staff a document explaining the educational project and reporting on the evaluation of the implementation of the success plan and the Management & Educational Success Agreement (MESA) (s. 83).

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

approves the approach for implementing the basic school regulation (s. 84)
approves the approach for enriching and adapting Ministry programs and the development of local programs (s. 85)
approves the time allocation for each subject and ensures that the compulsory objectives of the programs of studies will be achieved and that the rules governed by the certification of studies are complied with (s. 86)
approves the schedule of educational activities which changes the students’ regular schedule (s. 87)
approves the approach to implementing student and special education services (s. 88)
is consulted on the textbooks and instructional materials required for teaching programs (s. 96.15.3) (See table on page 1.3).

COMMUNITY SERVICES

may organize educational services (outside teaching periods), social, cultural or sports activities (s. 90)
may, in the name of the school board, contract with persons or organizations for goods and services (s. 91)
may require a financial contribution from users of these goods and services (s. 91).

PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES

approves the use of school premises and enters into agreements regarding their use (s. 93)
may, in the name of the school board, solicit and receive voluntary contributions from persons or organizations to support school activities (s. 94)
adopts the school’s annual budget and submits it to the school board for approval (s. 95). See Section 6 for a description of the school’s annual budget.
is consulted by the principal regarding the school’s needs for goods, services and repair/improvement of the premises (s. 96.22).

CONSULTATION BY THE SCHOOL BOARD (Education Act, Sections 78-79)

In addition to the functions and powers outlined above, the school board must consult the Governing Board on two items (section 79), namely:

the amendment or revocation of the deed of establishment of the school, i.e., school closure, change of program, change of building, etc. (The deed of establishment, prepared by the School Board, includes the name and address of the school and the level(s) of instruction.)
the selection criteria for the appointment of the principal (The Governing Board members are not involved in the appointment but must have the opportunity to submit a description of the characteristics, qualities and experience that they judge to be essential in an administrator for their school.).

The Governing Board also advises the school board on certain matters, namely:

any matter the school board is required to submit to it
any matter that may facilitate the operation of the school
any matter that may improve the organization of services provided by the board

Regional Parents’ Committee (RPC)

Every school board that divides its territory into administrative regions may, for the same purposes, replace the parents’ committee by a Regional Parents’ Committee for each region and a Central Parents’ Committee composed of delegates from the regional parents’ committees. The Central Parents’ Committee will also include a representative of the advisory committee on services for handicapped students and students with social maladjustments or learning disabilities, designated by and from among the parents who are members of that committee.

The members of the regional committees represent the parents whose children attend schools in their region. The regional committees elect a chairperson and delegates who will compose the Central Parents’ Committee. The functions of the RPCs typically include promoting parents’ participation, giving advice on any subject conducive to the most efficient operation of a region, informing the school board of the needs of parents as identified by the school representatives and responding to consultations.

Parents’ Committee (PC)

The Parents’ Committee (PC) is the voice of the parents to the School Board (SB). It is made up of a parent representative for each of the SB elementary and secondary schools, and an alternate if necessary. A parent from the special needs committee (ACSES and SNAC, etc.) is also included. As part of its duties, the PC designates parents who will take part in the various standing committees of the school board. The PC also gives advice on subjects conducive to the most efficient operation of the school board as a whole, informing the school board of the needs and concerns of parents and giving recommendations to the school board on matters such as school closures, deeds of establishment, the school calendar, dedication of a school to a special project and the policy on financial contributions from parents or students. The PC also elects from among its members representatives to the English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA), as well as two parent commissioners (elementary and secondary) to sit at the Council of Commissioners.

In school boards divided into administrative regions, this role is taken by the Central Parents’ Committee, composed of delegates from each of the Regional Parents’ Committees.

Documents for Download

Legislation Education Act, R.S.Q. Chapter I-13.3

HandBook for New Members on Parent Committee (PARENT COMMITTEE GUIDE)

Participate at my child’s school

The reality of the public school system – whether it is English or French – is that the schools do not operate in a vacuum. Teachers and administrators are only part of the equation. Parents play an important role in all aspects of school life, and their contributions are vital to the success of our institutions. There are many ways that parents can get directly involved in school life. Some of the possibilities are listed below:

Governing Board

Each year, each school holds a General Assembly of parents, where the parent members of the Governing Board are elected by general vote. The Governing Board is the main governing body of the school, and is composed of parents, teachers, administrators, community representatives and students (for Cycle Two Secondary only). It makes decisions regarding the school and is responsible for discussing all matters related to student success, including the educational project, as well as the features and expectations of the school community. The Governing Board also approves the school budget, and deals with a variety of other educational issues, including subject time allocations. The Chair of the Governing Board must be a parent and has the deciding vote.

Through the governing board, you may also become involved in the Parents’ Committee and other school board-level committees. More information on parent governance is available by clicking here.

The Governing Board must meet at least five times during each school year, but typically meets monthly. Meetings usually take place in the evening and are open to the public. For more information about meetings and how to join the Governing Board, please contact the chairperson of your school’s Board or the school principal.

Parent Participation Organization (PPO)

While it is not mandatory, parents can choose to form a Parent Participation Organization, a group where parents can get together to discuss issues facing their school. The decision of whether or not to have a PPO is made at the annual General Assembly.

The purpose of the PPO is to encourage the participation of parents in the academic success of students and to foster the collaboration of parents in developing, implementing and evaluating the school’s educational project. More specifically, PPO members must:

keep abreast of parents’ views, comments and suggestions;
keep parents thinking about what they want for students;
keep track of parents’ concerns and relay this information to the people concerned;
advise the parents’ representatives on the Governing Board regarding any matter of concern to parents;
support the work of the parents on the Governing Board and the Parents’ Committee.

Given that the PPO is intended exclusively to meet local needs, it is up to parents to decide on its composition, rules and procedures at their general meeting. Traditionally, the PPO is involved in fundraising activities as well as in organizing special events that benefit the students in our school. Because of the varying needs, the PPO is always looking for parents with a wide variety of expertise and skills. Contact your child’s school to find out if a PPO exists, and how you can join.

General Volunteerism

Should you not be able to commit on a regular basis to groups like the Governing Board or Parent Participation Organization (PPO), there are always other roles to play at your child’s school. Schools always require additional assistance in supporting activities like breakfast programs, fundraising efforts, extra-curricular clubs and sports and school trips. If you have a skill that you think may be useful to your school and would like to volunteer, please contact your child’s principal to find out how you can contribute.

Related documents & links