By Laws

School Name: International Studies Preparatory Academy @Gables
Location: 7571
Region Center: III
The bylaws for this school were developed on October 14, 2010.

The bylaws are as follows:

I. PURPOSE
The purpose of the International Studies Preparatory Academy’s Educational Excellence School Advisory Council (EESAC) is to work together to enhance the instructional program and student achievement. The council is to prepare, review and approve the School Improvement Plan (SIP) as required by District guidelines.

II. COUNCIL MEMBERS
A. Composition
The International Studies EESAC Council shall be made up of five teachers, four parents, one student, one education support employee, three business/community representatives, the UTD steward, the principal or the Assistant Principal as the Principal’s alternate. With the exception of the principal, assistant principal, and the business/community representatives, all other members shall be elected by their constituent groups. Teachers, parents, students and education support employees shall also elect an alternate representative. The council will be representative of the ethnic, racial, linguistic and economic community served by International Studies Preparatory Academy.

B. Eligibility
All teachers, student services personnel and the media specialist employed by the school are eligible to be elected teacher representatives to the Council. All other persons employed by the school, including paraprofessionals and those who are not defined as instructional or administrative personnel and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each normal working week are eligible to be elected educational support employee representative. All parents, guardians or significant others responsible for a child enrolled in International Studies Preparatory Academy are eligible to be elected as parent representatives, with the exception of those parents who are also employed by International Studies.

C. Terms
The terms of office shall be effective for a period of one year term, beginning on the first day of school.

D. Responsibilities
Council members are expected to:
1. Attend all regular and special meetings; any member who has two consecutive unexcused absences from Council meetings shall be considered to have resigned. A member must advise the EESAC Chairperson or school personnel in the main office of his/her inability to attend in order to have an excused absence. The member shall be replaced following election/selection procedures as stated in these bylaws.
2. Communicate with constituents to collect data and opinions for decision making.
3. Consider the needs of all students when making decisions.
4. Report to constituents the actions and decisions taken by the Council.

III. ELECTION PROCESS

Each area represented on the Council shall elect their representatives. Teachers will meet at a faculty meeting to elect representatives when there is an opening in their respective area. A student council election will elect the student representative for the Council. Parents will elect their representatives at a PTA meeting conducted at the beginning of the school year. Educational support employees shall meet and elect their representative(s). At the first meeting of the Council in each year, the Council shall nominate and elect a chairperson for a one year term.

IV. MEETINGS
A. Regular Meetings
The regular meetings of the Council will be held at a minimum of six (6) times per year. The meetings will be held in a designated room. All meetings will be held at a time which is convenient to parents, teachers, students and business/community representatives.

B. Special Meetings
In the event a special meeting is needed, the principal, chairperson or a majority of the Council members may call for a special meeting.

C. Cancellation/Rescheduling of regular meetings
A regular Council meeting may be canceled by the Council.

D. All meetings shall be open to the public and shall not be held in any facility or location
which discriminates on the basis of sex, age, race, creed, color, origin, or economic status or which operates in such a manner as to unreasonable restrict access to such a facility.

V. QUORUM

A majority of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a Quorum. A quorum (50% plus one (1) voting member for majority) must be present. The quorum must include both teacher and parent representative and must be present before a vote may be taken.

VI. AGENDA

A. The Chairperson, in conjunction with the principal, shall prepare and distribute the agenda for all regular and special meetings. All EESAC members must receive at least 3-days’ advance notice in writing of any matter that is scheduled to come before the Council for a vote.
B. Adding to the Agenda
1. Council members may add items to any regular meeting agenda by contacting the EESAC Chairperson 48 hours in advance.
2. Non-Council members may propose an agenda item by contacting a Council member.
3. The agenda may be amended at the meeting by Council vote.

VII. CONSENSUS DECISION-MAKING

The primary method of decision-making shall be by consensus. Decision making allows teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents and community members, as a group of professionals to reach agreement on common goals and on the strategies to reach those goals.

VIII. MINUTES

Minutes shall be kept for all meetings of the EESAC. The minutes shall include the names of those in attendance and any actions taken by the Council. The minutes shall be approved at the next regular meeting of the Council. Copies of the approved minutes shall be maintained by the school as a public record. In addition, a copy of the minutes of every meeting as of October 2010, will be posted electronically by the school on the Internet.

IX. INPUT FROM NON-COUNCIL MEMBERS

Non-council members who are in attendance at the Council meeting shall be provided an opportunity to discuss issues under consideration in the following manner:
a. Prior to a consensus decision of a topic by the Council, non-members may be given the chance to give input to the council on the issue being addressed.

X. AMENDMENTS

The bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by 2/3 of the majority vote.