Parent and community support is an important component of successful education reform. Local school councils were created by law in Georgia to involve teachers, parents and businesspersons in local school issues focusing on student achievement.

Every public school in Georgia has a local school council consisting of a minimum of:

• two parents elected by the parents,
• two certified teachers elected by the teachers,
• two businesspersons and
• the principal.

The 2004 Georgia General Assembly amended the school council law to provide flexibility in membership, chairmanship, meetings, elections and trainings. The changes also provide clarity that school councils are to focus on student achievement and school improvement.

School Council GuideBook

The School Council GuideBook explains all the changes in the school council law and includes new model school council bylaws that must be adopted. School councils are guided through all of the choices they now can make and are advised how to take advantage of the new law’s flexibility.

In addition, the School Council GuideBook continues to focus and guide the work of the school council on:

• Recommending policy changes to the local board of education
• Understanding the school improvement plan
• Reviewing curriculum and assessments
• Analyzing student achievement data
• Participating in the principal selection process
• Communicating with and involving parents
• Mobilizing the community for school improvement

Click here to order. Individual GuideBooks can be ordered for $25 each.

Both state and federal professional development funds can be used for school council training.