BYLAWS of the MANSFIELD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
GIFTED AND TALENTED PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
Adopted 5/9/2016
Revised 9/23/19

ARTICLE I: Name of Council
The name of this Council shall be the Gifted and Talented Parent Advisory Council of the MansfieldIndependent School District (G/T PAC).

ARTICLE II: Objectives
The goal of the Gifted and Talented Parent Advisory Council shall be to improve the Gifted and Talented program in the Mansfield Independent School District (MISD).
In order to accomplish the above, the Advisory Council sets the following objectives:
1. To improve G/T services by:
a. Improving the number and quality of educational opportunities for G/T students within MISD,
b. Encouraging actions that improve teacher effectiveness at providing G/T education,
c. Working with campuses to implement more “Exemplary” practices, as
defined in the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students.
2. To improve communication within MISD related to G/T programs by:
a. Increasing parental awareness and understanding of G/T programs and opportunities,
b. Promoting sharing of G/T education best practices among campuses,
c. Providing parental feedback to campus G/T Specialists and Principals related to G/T
programs and Policies.
3. To provide support for parents of G/T students by:
a. Providing access to speakers and other resources on raising G/T children and dealing with issues commonly faced by G/T children,
b. Providing assistance with navigating G/T issues in the classroom by identifying existing avenues to pursue and connecting parents with resources,
c. Conducting events that provide parents of G/T students opportunities to network and share experiences with each other.
No member of the Advisory Council shall be empowered to speak for the entire Council unless authorized by the Council. Such authorization must be reflected in the minutes of the Council.

ARTICLE III: Members
Section A. Composition. Members of the Advisory Council shall include G/T PAC Campus Representatives, Guest Advisors, Exofficio members, and the Executive Board.
1. G/T PAC Campus Representatives. These Representatives are parents or guardians ofchildren receiving G/T PAC services within MISD.
a. Qualifications: G/T PAC Campus Representatives shall be parents or guardians of
children identified for gifted services in Mansfield ISD. The G/T PAC Campus
Representative(s) for each MISD campus shall be a parent or legal representative of a
child receiving Gifted and Talented Services on that campus.
b. Selection by Campus: The Advanced Academics Program Coordinator shall solicit
Campus Representatives from the G/T parents as needed to ensure all campuses have
at least one representative. If the number of qualified volunteers for a campus exceeds
the number of available positions, the campus administration shall select the
representatives from among those volunteers. Each campus may have up to three
Campus Representatives. The Campus Representatives shall be submitted to the
Advanced Academics Program Coordinator.
c. Continuation of Service: A member in good standing may choose to continue to serve as a campus representative the following membership year, provided they continue to meet the eligibility requirements and that would not exceed the maximum number of representatives for their campus.
d. Responsibilities: The Campus Representatives shall be responsible for maintaining
awareness of and providing insight and support for campus issues related to gifted
services. The Campus Representatives shall meet during the school year for exchange
of ideas and training. Campus Representatives are expected to attend all general
meetings
e. Termination of Representative Status: A Campus Representative shall forfeit his /her
position upon failure to meet the qualifications set forth above. A parent whose child no longer receives services from the Mansfield Independent School District may request permission to remain on the Council as a nonvoting, interested individual.
f. Vacancies: Vacancies in the position of Campus Representative shall be filled
according to Article III, Section A.1.
g. Multi-Campus Representation: A single person may simultaneously represent
multiple campuses, provided that they are the parent of G/T students at each campus
represented and no other representatives are available for either campus. In this case,
they shall have multiple votes, one per campus.
2. Guest Advisors: Individuals interested in the needs of students identified for gifted services including representatives of the community or public entities as well as school personnel may be asked to join the Council by the Council’s Board. Guest Advisors will act as a resource in an advisory capacity and shall not have the right to vote.
3. Exofficio Members of the Advisory Council shall include the MISD Superintendent, and the Advanced Academics Coordinator. They shall not have the right to vote.
Section B. Term of Service. Members of the Advisory Council shall serve for a one-year term. The membership term shall be from August 15 to August 14. There is no limit on the number of years a person may serve on the Council.
Section C. Voting Rights. Each campus with a Campus Representative on the Advisory Council shall be entitled to one vote for that campus. Each campus receives only one vote, regardless of whether that campus has multiple Campus Representatives. Proxy voting and absentee ballots shall not be permitted.
Section D. Termination of Membership. Any member may resign by filing a written resignation.
Absences of one-third of the scheduled general meetings by any member of the G/T PAC may be considered as a resignation unless the member has notified and discussed his/her reasons with the President and received approval. A member may be removed from the Council by a two - thirds vote of the members present at a general meeting.
Section E. Transfer of Membership. Membership in the Advisory Council is not transferable or assignable.

ARTICLE IV: Executive Board
The Council shall be governed by an Executive Board. The Board officers shall include but are not limited to:
President, Vice President, Communications Chair, Parental Support Chair, G/T Services Chair, and Secretary.
The Board shall also include a Treasurer if the G/T PAC raises or maintains any funds for its own use. Each officer may optionally have an alternate to fulfill their duties when they are unavailable. Officer alternates will be chosen from the membership of the G/T PAC and serve for the entire term, or the remainder of the term
from when they are selected. Alternates shall be voting members of the Board. The Vice-President is the alternate for the President.
Section A. Board Members.
1. Qualifications: Board members shall be parents or guardians of children identified for and receiving gifted services in Mansfield ISD.
2. Selection: At the last meeting of each school year (usually in May) the Council shall use a discernment process to assign Advisory Council members roles on the Board for the following term. Board member candidates may be nominated by any member of the Advisory Council, including self-nomination. Should there be multiple nominees for a position, the members of the Advisory Council shall select from the nominees by majority vote.
Section B. Job Descriptions.
1. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Advisory Council and Board, may sign all letters, reports, and other communications from the Advisory Council, and shall develop with the Council a yearly operating plan (goals) for the coming year to be approved by the Advisory Council no later than the first meeting of the new school year. In addition, he/she shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Advisory Council. In the event that the President is absent, the Vice President shall preside in his/her absence.
2. Vice President. The Vice President shall represent the President in assigned duties and substitute for the President during his/her absence.
3. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings, both regular and special, of the Advisory Council. The Secretary shall promptly transmit true and correct copies of the minutes to the members of the Advisory Council.
4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for creating an annual budget for the G/T PAC to be presented to the Council for approval at the second meeting of the term year. The budget shall then be presented to the MISD Advanced Academics Coordinator for approval. The process shall be the same for private funds. The budget may be amended at any time by a majority of the Advisory Council.
5. Communications Chair. The Communications Chair shall be responsible for maintaining the G/T PAC website, promoting events sponsored by the G/T PAC, and promoting parental feedback to campus administrators and G/T S pecialists regarding G/T issues. The Communications Chair shall organize at least one event per school year to inform parents about opportunities for G/T students.
6. Parental Support Chair. The Parental Support Chair shall be responsible for identifying and making available to parents educational and support resources related to G/T matters. The Parental Support Chair shall organize at least one event per school year providing networking opportunities to parents of G/T students or featuring a speaker relevant to the G/T community.
7. G/T Services Chair. The G/T Services Chair shall be responsible for conducting ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of services provided to G/T students by MISD and generating recommendations for improvements. At least once per school year, the G/T Services Chair shall deliver a written report with these assessments and recommendations to the G/T PAC.
After approval by the Advisory Council, this report shall be made available to all G/T parents, campus G/T Specialists, and campus Principals.
8. Duties/projects may be created or amended as assigned.
Section C. Term of Service. Members of the Board shall serve for a one year term. The membership year shall be from June 2 to June 1. The Board officers shall not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
Section D. Voting Rights. Each Board member shall be entitled to one vote. Proxy voting and absentee ballots shall not be permitted.
Section E. Termination of Board Position. Any Board member may resign his/her position by filing a written resignation. Three consecutive absences by any member of the Board shall be considered as a resignation unless the member has notified and discussed his/her reasons with the President and received approval.
Section F. Vacancies. Vacancies on the Board shall be filled in accordance with Article IV, Section A.2.
Section G. Transfer of Membership. Membership on the Board is not transferable or assignable.

ARTICLE V: Subcommittees
The Advisory Council may establish and abolish such subcommittees as it may desire to achieve the goals developed annually by the Council.

ARTICLE VI: Meetings
Section A. Regular Meetings. The Advisory Council shall meet regularly no fewer than two (2) times, once each semester, during the school year. The meetings shall be scheduled and announced by the Board no later than the first day of instruction and coordinated with the school district calendar. Meetings shall be at a place approved by the Advanced Academics Coordinator. Children should not be brought to meetings unless there is childcare provided in a separate room at the meeting location.
Section B. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Advisory Council may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the Advisory Council.
Section C. Board Meetings. Board meetings may be called by the President or set by the Board.
Section D. Notice of Meetings. Members must be notified of all meetings. Any change in the established date, time, or location must be given special notice. Notices shall be in writing (including email), state the day, hour, and location of the meeting and be delivered to each member not less than five (5) days or more than three (3) weeks before the date of such meeting.
Section E. Decisions. All decisions of the Advisory Council shall be made by an affirmative vote of a majority of its voting members in attendance. All decisions of the Board shall be made by an affirmative vote of a majority of Board members in attendance provided a quorum is present.
Section F. Quorum. One more than half of the total membership of the Board shall constitute a quorum
for the Board.

ARTICLE VII: Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any time by a two - thirds affirmative vote of the members of the Advisory
Council in attendance after consultation with the MISD Advanced Academics Program Coordinator.