5/2/2012 SEPAC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Appendix 13: Frequently Asked Questions 1. Which school district personnel may be PAC members? School district personnel, including teachers and other service providers and school committee members, may be PAC members as "interested parties," subject to local policies; or if they are parents of children with special needs in that school district, . they may be parent members of the PAC. School district administrators who are not parents of children with special needs in the school district should not be PAC members, because that would put them in the position of advising themselves. 2. May school administrators attend PAC meetings? Because PAC meetings are subject to Open Meeting Law, school administrators may attend PAC meetings. In the spirit of effective collaboration, it is good practice to invite the administrator of special education to meetings of the PAC. 3. May a school committee or school administrator disband a PAC? No. A school committee or school administrator may not disband an established PAC. The school district and the PAC are encouraged to cooperate in order to resolve issues. The ESE and the Massachusetts Association of Special Education Parent Advisory Councils (MassPAC) can provide helpful materials. 4. Who can vote at a PAC Meeting? PACs may address the issue of voting in their own By-Laws. Some PACs have found it effective to allow all members to vote, while taking a vote only if there is a "voting quorum" in which at least two thirds of the PAC members present are parents of children with special needs. Other PACs have defined "General Membership" and "Voting Membership" (see sample By-Laws in Appendix A). S. Is the PAC membership list a public document? Since a PAC is an advisory group. to a public body (the School Committee), the official PAC membership list of persons who have taken action to join is a public document. 6. May a PAC operate a private email list (for example, "LISTSERV") that is not open to the participation of school employees? No, all email communications of the PAC, including electronic mailing or distribution lists, are subject to Public Records Law. 7. May a school district adopt policies further defining the operations of a PAC? School districts may set reasonable operational policies such as notice for use of school buildings or access to school programs. However, the role of a PAC may not be limited in a manner inconsistent with state regulations regarding PACs, or with ESE PAC guidelines. 14