Family & Community Students & Families
Student Advisory Council

State Student Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Board of Education By-Laws

I PURPOSE

1. The purpose of this Council shall be to consider all matters that its membership deem appropriate concerning education at the local, state and national levels; to make proposals and recommendations to the Massachusetts Board of Education concerning such matters; and to suggest guidelines and legislation to improve the quality of education throughout the Commonwealth.

2. The Council shall encourage, support and work with the Regional Student Advisory Councils, interested student organizations, and concerned individuals in matters of common concern; and shall maintain close liaisons with the appropriate organizations in the educational, legal and social communities.

3. The Council shall pursue the above objectives through the following general activities: researching, introducing, supporting and aiding in the implementation of state and national legislation of interest to the Council; maintaining and strengthening existing avenues of communication and establishing new ones among agencies concerned with or involved in the administration of education throughout the Commonwealth and the nation; endorsing or conducting conferences dealing with important student issues; providing the State Board of Education with opinions, ideas, proposals, suggested guidelines, and other information of concern to students throughout the Commonwealth, and assisting the student Board member who is acting as representative of the Council.

II MEMBERSHIP

1. The membership of the Council shall consist of four delegates elected by each of the eleven Regional Student Advisory Councils.

2. All delegates shall have the right to vote and the right to hold office.

3. Each regional council is invited to select two regional council members who are not state council members to attend monthly state council meetings. These additional members will be invited to participate in the discussion, but will not have voting privileges.

4. Attendance at State Council meetings and the Summer Leadership Conference should be the top priority of state delegates. Failure to attend (or fulfill responsibilities) greatly compromises the Council's progress and success.

5. All Council members shall hold office from the time of election to June 30th, the end of the Council year, or when another student is elected to take his/her place.

III OFFICERS

1. The Chairperson of the Council shall have the following responsibilities:

   1. Serve as the Council's representative to the State Board of Education.

   2. Serve as the Council's representative to any other appropriate workshops, seminars or meetings.

   3. Submit verbal and written reports to the State Board of Education on activities undertaken by, or of concern to the Council.

   4. Conduct Council meetings.

   5. Report regularly to the Council on the activities of the State Board of Education.

   6. Meet regularly with working group chair people to stay abreast of their activities.

   7. Represent the Council's opinion to the best of his/her ability when dealing with the Board of Education or any other group on behalf of the Council.

   8. Call special planning meetings as needed, which all regional and workgroup chairs or their designees are expected to attend.

2. The Vice-Chairperson of the Council shall have the following responsibilities:

   1. Assist the Chairperson in appropriate matters.

   2. Designate Council meeting dates and locations.

   3. Conduct Council meetings or attend activities if the Chairperson is unable to or opts not to.

   4. Remain aware of all activities of the State Council and Regional Councils.

   5. Meet regularly with working group chair people to stay abreast of their activities.

3. The Recorder of the Council shall have the following responsibilities:

   1. Ensure that minutes are taken at Council meetings and are distributed to members.

   2. Assist the Vice-Chairperson and Chairperson in all appropriate matters.

   3. Assume the Vice-Chairperson responsibilities in his/her absence.

   4. Notify members of their unexcused absence from Council meetings. For a second absence, notify the principal of the delegate's school and the chairperson of the delegate's regional council.

   5. Establish and maintain a phone and email list detailing workgroup membership and positions for use by all the member of the council.

4. The Council will establish voting procedures prior to elections. All officers must receive a majority vote to be elected.

5. An officer's term shall end on June 30th or when a new student is elected to take his/her place.

6. The person chairing a discussion shall not have the right to vote on the issue, except in the case of a tie. The region of the person leading the discussion still has four votes.

IV WORKGROUP

1. The Council members shall divide into Workgroups at the beginning of the Council year. Each member of the council, except the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Recorder shall belong to one Workgroup.

2. The Workgroup shall work to achieve specific objectives through researching issues, working with Department staff, educators, students and other appropriate people, developing proposals and making recommendations and presentations to the Board of Education and the Council.

3. Each Workgroup shall elect a chairperson and a recorder.

4. The Chairperson of a Workgroup shall have the following responsibilities:

   1. Work closely with the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Council to keep them abreast of Workgroup work.

   2. Work with the Workgroup to create an operational plan for the Workgroup.

   3. Designate special meeting times and locations.

   4. Notify all committee members of meetings.

   5. Prepare an agenda for each meeting.

   6. Conduct meetings.

5. The Recorder of a Workgroup shall have the following responsibilities:

   1. Report to the Council monthly concerning Workgroup progress.

   2. Ensure communication among Workgroup members.

   3. Write minutes of meetings for inclusion in monthly Council minutes.

   4. Assist the Workgroup chairperson in his/her duties.

6. A Workgroup shall make recommendations to the Council for action and positions. A Workgroup vote cannot be construed as a vote of the Council

V AD HOC COMMITTEES

1. When a majority of the Council present at a meeting deems it necessary, a committee may be formed consisting of any interested member of the State Student Advisory Council.

2. The committee shall elect a chairperson and any other office of which the committee finds necessary.

3. The duration of the committee shall be from the time of formation until the task is completed or until the end of the Council year.

VI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Council. Said committee shall consist of one member from each of the eleven regional councils. Said members shall be elected during the summer conference. The Vice-Chair and Recorder shall also be members.

2. Members of the committee shall receive Board of Education packets and are expected to advise the Chairperson on all appropriate matters.

VII MEETINGS

1. Notice of meetings shall be sent to all members as well as any organization or individual who so requests. Notices must be mailed no later than eight (8) days before the meeting.

2. All Council meetings shall comply with state open meeting laws.

3. Unless otherwise stated, a quorum shall consist of fifty (50) percent of the voting members of the Council, or two (2) or more voting members present from at least eight (8) Regional Student Advisory Councils.

4. All Council votes shall be preceded by discussion.

5. Council votes shall be called and recorded in the minutes by region in all cases, except when a motion to bypass this clause is unanimously agreed upon. In that case, the vote shall be cast by either show of hands or voice.

VIII IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL OF DELEGATES

1. The Recorder will notify the region represented by any delegate who has three or more unexcused absences from Council meetings. The Council will have the opportunity to impeach the delegate by a 2/3 vote. The Recorder will also notify the delegate prior to the regional meeting at which he or she may be removed. The delegate will have an opportunity to present him or herself to the region and attempt to explain his or her absence.

2. The individual region will determine the entire removal process.

3. Any delegate removed will be replaced by his/her alternate; if an alternate is unable to replace him/her or if an alternate has not been elected, the region represented by the removed delegate will elect a replacement delegate by majority vote.

IX CENSURE OF THE CHAIRPERSON

1. Section III F of this document does not apply to censure proceedings.

2. If the Chairperson is excessively absent from State meetings, meetings of the Board of Education, or if the Council finds another pressing reason to deem the Chairperson incompetent including but not restricted to a violation of the Chairperson's duties listed in section III A, a motion can be made to remove the Chairperson.

3. Any delegate can propose censure by notifying the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson in writing at least 24 hours prior to the State Council meeting. During said meeting, the Chairperson shall leave the room and the Vice-Chairperson shall read the written statement and call for a vote to signify whether or not the matter should be further considered.

4. If the Council shows interest in the matter by at least a 1/3 vote, then the Chairperson shall be reviewed by the council for censure.

5. The Chairperson shall be allowed 5 minutes to speak to the council and will be permitted to call a maximum of 3 persons to speak on his behalf, each with a maximum of 5 minutes to speak. A maximum of 10 minutes of questions shall be directed towards those speaking on behalf of the chairperson and a maximum of another 10 to the Chairperson.

6. After the Chairperson and those acting on his or her behalf have spoken any delegate may speak for a maximum of 5 minutes presenting information that he/she finds relevant.

7. After the discussion is closed, the Council will vote to determine if more time is needed for deliberation. If more time is needed the Vice-Chair will determine how much.

8. When the Council has determined that no more deliberation is needed the Council will vote by means of secret ballot. A 3/4 majority in the vote is needed for the censure of the Chairperson.

9. The Council shall notify the Board of Education of the censure of the Chairperson.

10. The Vice-Chairperson shall be directed to attend Board of Education meetings and present the opinion of the Council on pending matters during the public comment period.

X AMENDMENTS

These by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the quorum established in Section 7 C. The Council must be informed of any proposed amendments at two consecutive council meetings prior to a vote on the amendments. The Council must be informed of the meeting at which time the vote will take place.

The word "Council", when used alone in these by-laws, signifies the "State Student Advisory Council".