Dudley-Charlton Regional Public School District
ELLPAC By-Laws
September 2023
Article I: DCRSD Parent Advisory Council for English Learners
The name of this self-governed organization shall be the Dudley-Charlton Regional Public
School District English Learner Parent Advisory Council or ELLPAC.
Article II: Purpose of the ELLPAC
The mission of the ELLPAC is to work to promote multilingual and multicultural values for all
students and to aid in the integration process of new English language learners into the DCRSD
community.
To that end, members will work to:
- Promote a network of parents of multilingual children, and provide a forum to share information.
- Advise the School Committee and the Directors of English Language Learning on the development and evaluation of programs, long range planning, district-wide policy decisions, and the budget for English Language Learning.
- Advocate for standardization among ESL curriculum in schools and ESL teachers. We will also seek to create partnerships with teachers, parents and/or students to make short-term student-learning goals.
- Promote communication between ELLPAC members and local, state, and national organizations, councils and groups. Conduct site visits of other schools or districts to learn about new resources, programs, and methodologies.
- Promote communication and information to parents, students, educators and professionals to advocate for multiculturalism and multilingualism. There are benefits to becoming bilingual or multilingual and also numerous benefits to maintaining a heritage language. We will explore and potentially introduce a plan to teach and maintain other languages.
Article III: Terms of Membership
- General membership shall be open to the public.
- Voting membership shall be any general member who is a parent or a guardian of a child who is currently or formerly enrolled in the English Language Learning program. Voting membership is required to vote in annual officer elections and all other business that comes before any ELLPAC meeting.
Article IV: Officers of the ELLPAC
Officers and At Large Board Members comprise the Board of the ELLPAC. The board must be
voting members and are elected by the voting membership and hold office for one or two years.
Efforts should be made to elect officers that reflect the countries and languages of the
membership. If any office becomes vacant, an election for that office shall be held immediately,
with term to expire following the next election.
Officer responsibilities of the English Language Learner Parent Advisory Council are as follows:
Chairperson(s): 1-3 people elected
● Collaborate with other chairpersons, as needed, to share responsibilities.
● Set the agenda for each general meeting and share at least two weeks in advance.
● Preside at all meetings of the ELPAC.
● Recommend the creation of the subcommittees and monitor their activities.
● Oversees role of Secretary, including communication between the ELLPAC and its
membership.
● Oversees role of Treasurer, including regular review of financial statements.
● May designate a Voting Member to perform one or more of these responsibilities.
● Propose any funds to be spent for approval by a vote of the membership.
● Manage an account for funds collected, donated, and spent for the ELLPAC.
● Prepare and report bi-annual financial statement.
At Large Board Members: 3-5 people elected
- The role of all Board Members is to support the purpose of the ELLPAC, as described in Article II. The number of At Large Board Members shall not exceed 5.
Article V: Elections
Elections shall be the first order of business during the September meeting. Voting will be available in person. Elections shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast by the voting members. New officers shall take office immediately following the September meeting. Elections will be organized by a Board Member/s who is not a candidate in the current election (from the previous year) with support from Director of the ELL Program.
Article VI: Meetings
Meetings are defined as any ELLPAC meeting, activity, or committee at which attendance is taken. A minimum of 5 general meetings shall be held annually. Notice of all general meeting dates and elections shall be published in the local press and school newsletters in advance, posted on the DCRSD website, a flier sent to parents through the ESL teachers, and an email sent to each voting member, whenever possible.
Article VII: Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by a simple majority of the voting members, cast either at a general meeting or electronically, but changes to these by-laws may not be voted upon in the same meeting as they were proposed. Suggestions for changes to by-laws will be submitted in advance to the meeting where by-laws will be discussed and voted on.
Article VIII: Norms
General respectful discourse will prevail at meetings, facilitated by the Chairperson/s. Efforts will be made to provide interpreters upon request (with at least one week notice).
