Beginning with the 2023-25 term, the law requires all CECs to include a parent of a student attending a District 75 school program physically located within the CEC’s district. The intent behind the addition of this reserved seat is to foster integration of the D75 student population into the district governance structure; however, the law does not specify a particular role: the D75 member has the same rights and responsibilities as every other member of the CEC. To support the councils in defining a role for these new members, FACE is offering the guidance below. It is important to note that what is being offered are suggestions—each D75 member will need to decide for themselves how much to take on.
As a representative of D75 families in the CEC’s district, the D75 member should connect with D75 PA/PTAs and families by:
- Keeping them informed of upcoming public hearings, town halls, and meetings where they can raise issues affecting services for D75 students;
- Ensuring they receive notices of the monthly CEC meeting and are aware they can raise issues during the public comment portion of the meeting;
- Turnkeying information about DOE and district initiatives that may affect their children; and
- Being a point of contact for D75 families who may need additional support.
- In order to effectively represent their constituents, D75 members of the CEC should attend meetings of the Citywide Council for District 75 whenever possible to stay up to date with issues affecting D75 families and changes in special education.
Collaboration with members of other councils–D75 members of other CECs, CCD75 and CCSE–in organizing forums and workshops is another way for D75 members of CECs to serve their constituents by developing their own knowledge base and networks.
Since virtually all D75 programs are co-located with a district or high school, a key role of the D75 member of the CEC is to build relationships and function as a bridge between D75 programs and their co-located schools. The D75 member should:
- Liaise with the School Leadership Teams in D75 schools in the CEC’s district and provide assistance where possible (this is equivalent to the role the law specifies for CEC members).
- Visit D75 schools/programs.
- Participate in the CEC’s work on the capital plan with the goal of ensuring accessibility is prioritized.
It is especially important that the voice of D75 families be represented when NYCPS is developing proposals subject to Chancellor’s Regulation A-190: co-locations, closings, grade expansions and truncations. When these proposals involve a D75 school or program, the D75 member of the CEC is uniquely positioned to:
- Participate in the development of the proposal;
- Liaise with CCD75 as the proposal is developed; and
- Attend joint public hearing.
Finally, the D75 member of the CEC should gather feedback from D75 families and formally report on issues of concern to them as part of the member reports at CEC meetings, as well as ensure that the interests of D75 families are represented in resolutions adopted by the CEC.