Amy Lane Cloudcroft Elementary School
The Cloudcroft Municipal School District has recently implemented Parent Advisory Councils at all three schools, and we wonder how we ever made it without them. Yes, we have always had a wonderfully active Parent Teacher Organization, but in addition to the PTO, we now have groups of people willing to volunteer their time to help us in their areas of expertise.
As of this school year, New Mexico law requires all schools to organize School Advisory Councils. These councils assist the school principals with school-based decision making and they involve parents in their children’s education. Operational details such as membership requirements, meeting frequency, resignations, and the role of the council, are determined by district policy.
In general, the Council’s role is to work with the principals on policies relating to instructional issues, curricula and budget. Most importantly, the Councils serve as a champion for students by creatively building community support and encouraging greater community participation in our schools.
Presently, our Elementary Council consists of teachers Sue Cook and Charlie Cooper, parents Le Orla Wright and Brad George, community member Frank Martinez, and principal Amy Lane. The Middle School Council’s members include staff members Pat Gaskill and Kelli Martinez, parents Ken Szelazkiewicz and Stan Richardson, community member Susan Gillespie, and principal Fred Wright. And supporting the High School are student David Dalton, teachers Danny Ward and Susan Barrett, parents KC George, Melinda King, and D’dre Brock, community member Dick Vannoy, and principal Shirley Crawford.
These busy groups are currently undertaking projects dealing with technology, playgrounds, a marquis to announce important dates and events, handbook revisions, curriculum/course offerings, and school climate.
The Cloudcroft Schools thank our Councils for their hard work during the first part of their year term. We have made new friends and are learning much from people with whom we might not normally come in contact. So for those of you whose interest may have been piqued, we will have elections once again in the fall for 2005-2006 Parent Advisory Councils. Please call one of our principals if you would like more information.