Mark Your Calendars: Education Council Elections Begin January 2023

EDITOR’S NOTE (2/10/23): This year’s application deadline for parents seeking to run for a CCEC seat later this year has been extended to Thursday, February 23, 2023. Please check out our latest post on The Morning Bell for the most up-to-date information about this year’s CCEC Election process.

Have you ever considered running for a seat on an NYC Education Council?

This January, the 2023 Community and Citywide Education Council Election season will be underway. If you’re a parent of current New York City public school student, you’re eligible to run for seats on any of the City’s 36 Community and Citywide Education Councils (CCECs) beginning January 9 through February 13, 2023.

CCECs are made up of elected and appointed parent volunteers who play vital roles in shaping important decisions in school districts across all five boroughs. Each serving two-year terms, CCEC members have an opportunity to be an advocate for their communities and build relationships with other parents and school leaders along the way.

CCEC member responsibilities include:

• reviewing district educational programs and improvements to school buildings;
• approving zoning lines;
• organizing public meetings and town halls; and
• working together with both district and DOE leaders to make recommendations on a variety of issues.

By participating in this year’s elections, whether as a candidate in January or as a voter later this year, you’ll be making your voice heard and help shape education policies and programs for months and years to come.

Running for Seats

In order to run for a council seat during this year’s election cycle, you must submit your election application through your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) by the February 13 deadline. It’s also important to make sure that your NYCSA has the most up-to-date registration information for all of your children who are currently attending DOE public schools in grades Pre-K through 12 so that your eligibility can be verified once the application period closes.

There are two different types of education councils that parents may be eligible to join:

Community Education Councils (CECs)

There are 32 CECs across the City that provide parents an opportunity to get involved and have an impact on a district level. You are eligible to run for one of the nine elected seats in your district if your child is in Pre-K through grade 8 in a district (non-charter) public school. This year, you may also qualify for a seat reserved for the parent of a students enrolled in a District 75 program in the CEC’s geographical district.

Citywide Education Councils

There are also four Citywide Education Councils, each advocating for specific populations:

• • Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS)

If your child is in a public, non-charter high school, you can run for CCHS, representing the borough where your child’s high school is located. Parents members are elected by all parents of high school students in that borough.

• • Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL)

If your child is or was in the past two years an English Language Learner, you can run for CCELL. Parent members are elected by parents of English Language Learners.

• • Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE)

If your child has an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) and receives special education services paid for by the NYC Department of Education, you can run for CCSE. Parent members are elected by parents of public school children with IEPs.

• • Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75)

If your child is enrolled in a District 75 school or program, you can run for CCD75. Parent members are elected by parents of students in D75 schools.

Voting Period and Next Steps

After the application period closes, candidate forums will take place from February 27—April 20, 2023. Forums are an opportunity for candidates to tell voters why they should be elected to serve on an Education Council.

Then, voting will take place online from April 21—May 9, 2023. Parents will vote for their preferred CCEC candidates through NYCSA. All parents of current NYC public school students are eligible to vote during this period. Results will be announced in June 2023.

To learn more about the upcoming 2023 elections, visit our CCEC Elections webpage. We also encourage those interested in running to attend an upcoming CEC meeting to see the councils in action!

On behalf of the New York City Department of Education, we wish all of this year’s candidates and voters a smooth and rewarding election process!

Banner photo by Deekpak Sethi. Original can be found on iStock.