A community representative may be a member of a community served by the school, a representative of an agency, organization or business who has a link with the school, or an individual who has a strong interest in school issues or expertise desired by the Council. A communit6y representative brings an additional perspective to Council decisions. A parent may fill a position on Council as a community representative. Some councils individually come up with names and then compare lists as a group. Each person shares the reasons for their choices and then the pros and cons of each suggested name are discussed until consensus is reached on who to approach.
Some councils brainstorm for names as a group and then reach consensus through discussion.
Some councils first identify their areas of priority then identify people from the community with an interest or expertise in those areas. Whatever method followed to arrive at a list of potential community representatives, it is useful to assess the skills and representation already around the table. This self assessment allows the council to identify skill sets which are still desired and sectors of the community who still should be represented and to prioritize the list of candidates. Many councils are encountering difficulty finding community representatives willing to devote the necessary time. It seems to be even more difficult at the elementary level, as high schools may have business tie-ins.