The Department of Education has in the past provided facilitator training sessions for school board and school personnel across the province and the school boards are expected to utilize these facilitators. School Councils must negotiate a Protocol Agreement with their Board establishing their role and responsibilities. These responsibilities must include those defined in legislation and may include other responsibilities that the Council wishes to assume and the Board wishes to devolve to the school level. The purpose of a school council is to develop, encourage and promote policies, practices and activities to enhance the quality of school programs and the levels of student achievement in the school. Committees draw on parents and teachers not on council and are vital to effective decision making.
Various possibilities exist.
The PTA may become a committee of council. In schools where an active PTA exists, it is important not to simply supplant the PTA by the council. The council involves only three parents directly. These three parents need a forum to tap the opinion of other parents and a pool of parents to draw on for committee work. The school still needs parents involved in all the other ways in which they are now involved.