Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS)
What is the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS)?
The CCHS is an advisory body concerned with the education of high school students. The CCHS is responsible for issuing an annual report on how effectively high school students are being served by the NYC Department of Education and making recommendations for improvements. The CCHS must hold at least one public meeting per month during which the public may discuss issues concerning high schools.
The CCHS has 14 members:
- 10 (2 from each borough) are elected by the PA/PTA leadership (president, treasurer, and recording secretary) of every high school in the relevant borough, and must be parents of students who currently attend a public, non-charter high school in the borough the parent seeks to represent;
- 1 is appointed by the Public Advocate and must be a resident of New York City with extensive business or education experience; and
- 1 is appointed by the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) and must be the parent of a high school student with an IEP;
- 1 is appointed by the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL) and must be the parent of a high school student who is an English Language Learner in a bilingual or ESL program; and
- 1 is a non-voting high school senior who is an elected leader at his or her school and is appointed by the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council.
Who is eligible to run for a seat on CCHS?
You are eligible to run if you are the parent of a student currently attending a public, non-charter high school. For the purpose of determining CCHS eligibility, “parent” is defined in Chancellor’s Regulation D-160 as:
- A parent (by birth or adoption, step parent, or foster parent), legal guardian, or person in parental relation to a child. A person in parental relation to a child is a person who is directly responsible for the care and custody of the child on a regular basis in lieu of a parent or legal guardian.
What if I don't meet these eligibility criteria?
If you do not meet the above criteria, you may still be eligible to serve as the Public Advocate appointee on the CCHS. Qualifications include extensive business or education experience and knowledge; additional requirements are listed in Chancellor’s Regulation D-160. Please CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION. Follow the instructions on the application for how to submit it. Appointee applications are not accepted on this website.
When is eligibility determined?
Eligibility is determined as of the date an application to run for a seat on the CCHS is submitted. Elected members of CCHS may serve only as long as they have a child in a public, non-charter high school; they must resign if their child graduates during their term.
Which borough would I be eligible to represent on the CCHS?
You are eligible to represent the borough where your child's high school is located. Your name will appear on the ballot for that borough only.
What if I have current high school students in multiple boroughs?
On your application you must list all your children attending public, non-charter high schools. If your children attend high schools in different boroughs, you will choose which borough(s) you would like to represent on CCHS. Then, you must rank those in order of preference on your application.
How and when can I apply to serve on the CCHS?
You can apply for the 2019–2021 term beginning on February 14, 2019. The application period ends at 11:59 pm on March 6, 2019. If you do not have access to a computer, ask your parent coordinator to arrange for you to use a computer at a school or district office, or call 311 for information on accessing computers at public libraries.