Committee Terms of Reference Template

CommunityAdvisoryCommitteeTermsofReference (TOR)–TDSB Frenchas aSecondLanguageAdvisory Committee(FSLAC)

1. OfficialName

FrenchasaSecondLanguageAdvisoryCommittee

FrenchasaSecondLanguageincludesCore,Extended,ImmersionandAlternativeFrenchprograms.

2. Mandate

The FSLACwascreatedbytheBoardonSept21,2005followingtheTDSB’srevision of theParent

InvolvementPolicy023:

=50921.pdf(p913,920,923)

MissionStatementof theFSLAC (adoptedbyTDSBJanuary31,2007)

=70131.pdf(p6, 21):

Toconsult withandadvisethe BoardonFrenchas aSecondLanguagematters.Asa Board community advisorycommittee,theFSLAC will contributetothe workof trusteesandstaff.Thispartnershipof trustees,staffandparentswill fosterexcellenceandgrowthinFSLprogramsatthe Board.

3. Compositionand Membership

The FSLACisaparentcommitteewith representationfromacrosstheTDSB,a parentco-chair and parentvice co-chair(s),atrustee co-chair,FSLstaffasaresource andaTDSBCommitteeAssistant for administrativesupport.

ParentMembership:Parentsfromeachward mayelectamemberandan alternate.Membersand alternatesmustbecurrentTDSB parentswho wish to furtherthemissionof theFSLAC.

Roleof ParentMembers:ParentmembersattendFSLAC meetings,takeaBoardwideperspectiveon

FSLmatters,liaisebetweentheFSLAC,theirwardcouncilandschoolsandparticipateasneededon ProgramAreaReviewTeamsandPupilAccommodationReviewCommitteesandin consultations to furtherthemissionof theFSLAC.

ParentCo-chair andVice-Co-chair(s): Theparentco-chairandvice-co-chair(s)areelectedfromthe parent membershipannually.

Roleof ParentCo-chair andVice-Co-chair(s):Theparentco-chairsetsthemeetingagendaswithinput frommembers,chairsthemeetingswithassistancefromtheTrustee co-chair,reviewsand oversees

revisionof draftminutes,overseesthemembershiplist, liaiseswithBoardstaff,communicates regularly withthemembersandrepresentstheFSLAC attheTDSB andexternally.Theparentvice-co- chair(s)performsany dutiesdelegatedbytheparentco-chair.

TrusteeCo-chairandadditionalTrustees:theTrustee co-chairisselectedannually bytheBoard.

Additional trusteesmayalso beselectedbytheBoard.

Roleof TrusteeCo-chair:theTrusteeco-chair assists theparentco-chairwith chairingthe meetings and providesguidanceandsupportasneeded.

CommunityMembership:Non-votingmembersfromthe communitymaybe appointedbythe committee.

Roleof Communitymembers:CommunitymembersattendFSLACmeetingsandprovideacommunity perspectiveonFSLmatterstofurtherthemissionoftheFSLAC.

4. Term of MembershipandVacancies

Aparentmemberandalternateare chosenbyparentsin their wardin oddnumberedyearstoserveatwo-yearterm,preferablybyholdingan electionat ward council.Additional alternatesmayjoin uponapproval bythecommittee.Preferably,trusteesandwardcouncils will hold electionsat

theirlast meetingof theschoolyear.

Parentmembervacanciesmaybefilledat anytimethroughaby-electionatthe wardcouncilor an appointmentbythe committeeandthetrusteeoftheaffectedward.Parentmembersandalternates soelectedor appointedservefor theremainderof thetwoyearterm.

AparentmemberwhomissesthreeconsecutiveFSLACmeetingswithout causemaybedeclaredby theparentco-chair,atacommitteemeeting,tohavevacatedthepositionandthealternatewillbe

promoted.The parent co-chair willnotifytheformermember,thepromotedalternate and the appropriatetrustee.

Communitymembersservearenewabletwoyearterm.

Membershipchangeswillberecordedin theminutes.

5. QuorumandDecisionMaking

Quorumisamajorityof the wardswithamember.Shoulda quorumnot be presentto startthe meeting,continuingthemeetingonaninformalbasis(nodecisionmaking)or cancellingisatthe discretionof theco-chair(s).Wardswill beincluded in quorumwhenelectedorappointed parent memberstaketheirseatsattheirfirst meeting.

Decision-makingprocess:The preferredmodelfor decision-makingisconsensus.If consensuscannot

be reached,anymembermayputforwardamotionfor avote. Theparentco-chairmayaskfor a motionfor avote,may setthematterasideor mayprovidethedifferingpointsofviewinadvice to the Board.

Motionsmustbe stated,secondedanddiscussedpriortovoting.Thereisone voteperward, castby

theparentmember.Theparentco-chairandviceco-chair(s)maycastthevotefortheir wardasthe parent member,ifapplicable. Ifthememberisnotpresent,thealternatewill castthevote. Theparent co-chair will confirmparentmembershipby wardpriorto takingthevote.

6. Meetings

Approximately8 meetingsareheld eachschoolyearatregular intervals.Meetingdatesfortheyear are postedontheFSLACpage ontheTDSB websitebythefirstdayofschoolin September.Two

weekspriorto ameeting,anoticeissent electronicallytothecommitteewith arequestfor agenda items.Oneweekpriortoameeting,theagendaandthedraft minutesfromthepreviousmeetingare

sentelectronicallytothecommittee.

Meetingsareheld at7pmatthe BoardOfficesat5050YongeSt.unless analternatetimeand/or location isagreedtobythe committee.

Membersmayparticipatebytelephoneorelectronically.

Parents,students,trustees,teachers,staffandmembersof the communityarewelcometoattend andparticipateinFSLACmeetings.

Minutesarerecordedateverymeetingbythedesignated TDSB CommitteeAssistant,andreviewed andrevised,if necessary,by theparentco-chair. Draftminutesare presentedatan FSLAC meeting

forapproval.Approvedminutesare postedon theFSLAC pageon theTDSBwebsiteby theCommittee

Assistant.

Theannualgeneralmeeting(AGM)willbeheldattheendof theschoolyear,usuallyin June.The

AGMwillincludetheelectionof theparentco-chairandvice-co-chair(s) andareviewof theseTerms ofReferenceifrequired.

7. Elections

Thecommitteewillappointareturningofficertoorganizeandchairtheelectionof theparentco- chair andvice-co-chair(s).

Parentmembersmayself-nominateforparentco-chairandvice-co-chair positions attheAGM.The electionwill be bysecretballot.In theeventofatie,thereturningofficerwill castthedeciding vote.

8. EvaluationandReview

Thecommitteewilldoanannualself-evaluationofits performanceagainstitsgoalsand theseTermsof

Reference.

Theco-chairsandmembers,if calledupon, willprovideanyinformationthe committeemayrequestto facilitateitsreviewofitsperformance.

Thecommitteemust reviewtheseTermsofReferenceeverytwoyears(in evenyears)attheAGM.If amendmentsareadopted atan AGM,areportwillbemade totheBoard.

9. Reporting

The committeereportstothe Boardvia theProgramandSchoolServicesCommittee.If the committeewishestoreportonamatterthatiswithinthemandateofanyother Standing Committeesof theBoard, it maydoso.

Thecommitteewillsubmitanannualreporttothe Board,throughtheProgramandSchoolServices

Committeeafterthefinalmeetingof theschoolyear.

10.CodeofConduct

Allcommitteemembersarerequiredto adhereto the codeofconductoftheBoardandallpolicies andproceduresoftheBoard.Failuretodosomayresultin acommitteedecision to initiatea

mediationprocessand/ortodismissthememberfromthe committee.