The PS99 Parents’ Association (PA) calls on all parents to attend our next 2 meetings, to learn about how you and other parents can volunteer to serve as board members or as members of the School Leadership Team (SLT) to help make important decisions for the future of our PA and our school. These are positions for parents like you, who have the talent and the time, who believe they can benefit PS99 by serving on the PA Board or the SLT.
CALL FOR CANDIDATES:
The PS99 PA calls for candidates to fill all positions on the PA Board (details below).
The SLT calls for candidates to fill 3 positions for parent representatives (details below).
If you have questions or if you are interested in running for any of these positions, contact ps99queens.pa@gmail.com by May 18, 2021.
Note that all voters and candidates in these elections must be a parent (birth parent, adoptive parent, step-parent, legally-appointed guardian, foster parent, or “person in a parental relation” of a PS99 student.
You must be present at the PA Election Meeting on May 20th at 6:30 pm in order to vote or run for office.
WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PS99 BOARD?
The term for each position is one year, beginning July 1. Following the election, there will be a Transfer of Records in June, when newly elected officers meet with the continuing and outgoing officers and school staff to ensure that everyone on the new Board is ready to step into their roles by July 1.
The minimum mandatory positions to qualify our organization as a PA are President (presides at meetings), Treasurer (keeps track of our finances), and Recording Secretary (keeps records of our meetings). However, in order to function effectively and do meaningful work to help PS99, we need a much more robust team that includes co-officers to share duties, Vice Presidents to take on specific projects and to connect with different constituencies within the school, and at least one Corresponding Secretary (deals with communications). The Board, and the roles of its officers are evolving to meet the challenges of our time, as we are on the cusp of becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization for the first time.
Serving on the Board is voluntary and unpaid. Each month, Board members are required to attend both the Board meeting and the General Membership meeting. The Board decides when the meetings will take place. This year all our meetings took place on Zoom; usually Board meetings were at 6:30 pm on the first Wednesday, and the General Membership meetings were at 6:30 pm on the third Thursday of the month.
Candidates can team up to run as a pair for certain positions, such as co-treasurers – to share the responsibilities, and to make sure the Board functions seamlessly in the event any officer unexpectedly resigns.
All Board members have an opportunity to help shape the PS99 PA’s plan of action for your term in office, and for the future!
WHAT IS THE SLT?
The SLT is a body that assists with school-based decision making. It develops PS99’s Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) which lays out attainable goals to meet the needs of students.
SLT meets once a month, at a mutually agreed-upon time. The date of the Meeting usually falls on the third Monday of the month, from September to June. New representatives begin their term in September, and meetings are open to all to attend as observers.
SLT members are given a stipend of $10 per hour that they participate.
The SLT at PS99 has 14 members – including a total of 7 parent representatives. One parent is the PA President, and the others are elected directly to the SLT by the parents during PA Elections. The other members of the SLT are the principal, the assistant principal, a teacher who represents the UFT (Teachers’ Union), a staff member who represents the DC37 (Union of NYC public employees), and 3 teachers who are elected by the other teachers.
Parent representatives on the SLT serve for a 2 year term. Elections for parent representatives on the SLT take place every year, to fill the seats of those whose term is expiring.
This coming election we are seeking 3 new parent representatives, and there will be spots for 2 alternates up for election in September, to encourage the participation of parents new to the school.
PS99Q Parents' Association 