By-Laws of Torrance Chinese School

Parents of all registered students in TCS (hereinafter referred to as the General Assembly) have exclusive power in the TCS organization. The General Assembly authorizes the Board of Directors to uphold school policies and to supervise the affairs of the school. The General Assembly shall elect the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors shall elect the Chairperson of the Board. The Board of Directors shall establish an administration office and appoint a school principal to administer school operations, and set up a Parent Services Association to assist the principal. The Parent Services Association president shall be elected by the General Assembly.

Board of Directors

I.         Organizational Structure

1.      The Board of Directors shall consist of 9 elected board members.

2.      The Board of Directors shall elect a chairperson of the Board among the 9 elected board members.

3.      Board members shall be elected by the General Assembly, by voting based on one vote per registered student.

4.      The chairperson of the Board shall appoint 1 secretary and as many executive officers as needed, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

5.      The Board of Directors may appoint advisors as required to assist in managing the affairs of the school.

 

II.         Power

The Board of Directors shall have the highest authority to control and administer the affair and business of the school. It shall have the following powers:

1.      To discuss and to decide on all matters of school policy, as authorized by parents of all registered students.

2.      To appoint a school principal and to approve the selection of administrative staff designated by the principal.

3.      To manage and audit the financial matters of the school.

4.      To oversee and to assist the school principal and administrative staff in administering the business of the school.

5.      To oversee and to assist the Parent Services Association in carrying out its duties.

 

III.         Duties

1.      Chairperson of the Board: He/She shall act on behalf of the Board with respect to the interest of school and shall conduct meetings of the Board of Directors and preside at all meetings.

2.      Members of the Board: All members shall participate in all meetings of the Board of Directors, establish committees to carry out tasks for the school, and study issues pertaining to the interests of the school.

3.      Secretary: He/She shall participate in all meetings of the Board of Directors, keep a full record of such meetings, and securely maintain all school records, bylaws and documents.

 

 

IV.         Meeting

1.      Chairperson shall act as a key representative of the Board and responsible to conduct meetings of the Board of Directors and preside at all meetings.

2.      Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the chairperson or by at least three board members, to discuss special affairs pertaining to school business.

3.      At least two-thirds (2/3) of the board members must be present to constitute a quorum for the board meeting.

4.      Every act done or decision made by a majority of the directors present at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board of
Directors, unless a greater number, or the same number after disqualifying one or more directors from voting, is required by these Bylaws or the California Corporations Code. Directors may not vote by proxy.

5.      Notice of the meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given to each board member at least one week before the meeting, and notice of the time and place of meeting shall be posted to all parents of registered students and registered students. All parents of registered students and registered students shall be allowed to attend.

6.      The minutes of all meetings shall be available for reading at the office of the Parent Services Association.

7.      As required by the nature of the meeting of Board of Directors, the Board shall invite the president of the Parent Services Association to attend.

 

V.         Elections and Terms of Office

1.      Board members shall serve a term of two-years, and may be elected for two consecutive two-year terms (four years).

2.      To better support organizational continuity, four of the charter (1989) board members shall serve a term of one year only. Thereafter, four new board members shall be elected in odd-numbered years, and five in even-numbered years.

3.      The Board of Directors shall find candidates to replace retiring board members. Candidates can be nominated by the General Assembly and/or the Board of Directors.

4.      Candidates for the Board of Directors shall be a registered student over the age of 18 or a parent of a registered student or former TCS administrator, staff, teacher, parent or student over the age of 18.

5.      Ballots shall be authenticated and counted.

6.      The Board shall form an Elections Committee headed by one of the Board members.  The Elections Committee may recruit board and/or parents to join the committee if needed.

7.      Elections of the Board of Directors and the president of Parent Services Association shall be completed before mid-December.

8.      If there is a vacancy on the Board, including a vacancy created by the removal of a Director, the Board may fill such vacancy by electing an additional director as soon as practicable after the vacancy occurs. If the number of Directors then in office is less than a quorum, additional directors may be elected to fill such vacancies by (i) the unanimous written consent of the Directors then in office, (ii) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors in office at a meeting held according to notice, or (iii) a sole remaining Director.

9.      Any Board member, whose actions are found in breach of the policies and these Bylaws, and to affect the reputation of the school, may be subjected to removal proceedings by a resolution of 1/5 of the General Assembly. Such Board member shall be removed from the Board upon agreement of the resolution of dismissal by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board of Directors.

10.  Secretary: A secretary shall be nominated by the chairperson of the Board after the election of Board of Directors and appointed upon approval by the Board of Directors. The term of office is one-year and may be re-elected annually.

 

VI.         Others

1.      These Bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed by the vote of a two-thirds of the directors then in office. Such action is authorized only at a duly called and held meeting of the Board of Directors for which written notice of such meeting, setting forth the proposed Bylaw revisions with explanations therefore, is given in accordance with these Bylaws, unless such notice is waived in accordance with these Bylaws. If any provision of these Bylaws requires the vote of a larger proportion of the Board than is otherwise required by law, that provision may not be altered, amended or repealed except by that greater vote.

2.      The Board of Directors shall conduct two General Assembly meetings annually. The first General Assembly shall be in November. Its main purpose shall be the nomination for candidates of board of directors and parent services association president. The second General Assembly shall take place in May to have a dialog between parents and the board of directors. Special meetings may be called by a resolution of two-thirds of the board members or 1/5 of the General Assembly.

3.      All legal proceedings pertaining to school business shall be in accordance with statutory requirements for Non-profit Organizations.

4.      These Bylaws are made in English and Chinese. In the event of a dispute as to the terms of these Bylaws, the English version shall prevail.

 

 

Administration Office

I.  Organization

1.      The Principal of the school shall be appointed by the Board of Directors.

2.      The Administrative staff shall include the following positions:

a.      Assistant principals (two to three positions)

b.      Treasurer

c.       Administration supervisor

d.      Registration

e.      Director of Student Affairs

f.        General affairs officer

g.      Extra-curricular coordinators

h.      Information and communication

i.        Public relations

j.        Advisors

 

II. Duties

1.      Principal: Administer the business of the school, prepare budget each semester for Board of Directors’ approval, and conduct regular school administrative meetings with the board members and president of Parent Services Association. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, the principal may recruit or dismiss teachers and administrative staff.

2.      Assistant principal: Assist the principal in administering the business of the school and safeguarding the school’s property. May act on behalf of the principal to attend meetings.

3.      Treasurer: He/She shall keep the records of financial transactions, ensure that transactions are completely and correctly recorded, work with the Certified Public Accountant to audit school accounting, and present school financial reports annually at a meeting of the Board.

4.      Administration Supervisors: Responsible for the selection of qualified teachers and teaching assistants, providing guidelines and improvements to teaching methods, providing assistance and training to students who are participating in extra-curricular contests, and regularly conducting parent-teacher conferences.

5.      Registration: Responsible each semester for registering students for classes and parents for parent service dates. Also responsible for maintaining the database of student & parent registration information.

6.      Director of Student Affairs: Maintain student orderliness and tidiness to ensure the safety of students during and after school sessions, and serve as intermediaries between teachers and the parent services association.

7.      Information and Communication: Maintain and manage school documents on the computer system, control the use of software on that system, collect information pertaining to teaching curricula and methods and forward to administration supervisors, and support and improve the school’s communications and computing infrastructure.

8.      General Affairs Officer: Responsible for the maintenance of school equipment and the purchasing of items needed for school operations.

9.      Extra-curricular Coordinators: Responsible for the selection of extra-curricular instructors and promoting student participation in extracurricular activities and in school and Chinese community track and field meets; for providing necessary training to students who are participating in these events; and for participating in the South Bay community activities.

10.  Public Relations: Community outreach including communications concerning major school activities which are of interest to the broader community.

11.  Advisors: Advise the school principal on issues involving the business of the school.

 

III. Appointment and Terms of Office

1.      Principal: Shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. Term of office shall commence at the conclusion of the spring semester and shall last one year and may be re-appointed annually.

2.      Assistant principal(s): Shall be appointed by the principal and concurred by the Board of Directors. Term of office shall be the same as the principal.

3.      Advisor: Experts in various areas may be appointed by the principal as required.

4.      Treasurer: Shall be appointed by the Principal and concurred by the Board of Directors. Term of office shall be one-year and may be re-appointed annually.

5.      Administration supervisors, registrations officers, Director of Student Affairs, general affairs officer, extra-curricular coordinators, information and communication, and public relations: shall be appointed by the principal and term of office shall be the same as the assistant principal.

 

Parent Services Association

I.         Purpose

Act as a “communications bridge” between parents and school officials, provide services to students, assist in organizing school and community activities, assist the principal in administering school affairs, and organize events consistent with the principles of the school.

II.        Organization

Headed by a president of parent services, who shall be elected by the General Assembly. The president shall appoint vice-presidents, and the parents of each classroom shall select a classroom coordinator. PSA President will work closely with Classroom Coordinator to distribute school information to parents.

III.      Budget

Shall prepare budget each semester for Board of Directors’ approval; the allocation of budget for the Parent Services Association shall be made as part of determining the annual budget for the school.

IV.      Election

Nominations for president of the Parent Services Association shall be made by the General Assembly in November of each year. The election shall be conducted at the same time as the election for the Board of Directors. Only one candidate shall be elected as the president. Board member cannot concurrently hold the position of president of the Parent Services Association.

V.       Term of Office

The president shall serve a term of one year, and may be re-elected annually. The inauguration of the president shall occur at the same time as the board members.

VI.      Types of Service

1.      Collect suggestions from parents and forward them to the principal or the Board of Directors.

2.      Provide assistance during the student and parent services registration.

3.      Responsible for assigning weekly parent service duties to parents.

4.      Assist in organizing the track and field meets and other school activities, exhibitions and performances.

5.      Organize community and cultural events.

6.      Responsible for the storage of the beverages utensils and supply beverages and water during the school sessions.

7.      Subject to approval of the Board of Directors, the Parent Services Association may sell scrip and conduct other activities for the purpose of fundraising. Proceeds should be handled by the board of directors.

8.      Assist in organizing the parent-teacher conferences.

9.      Assist in organizing seminars in school.

 

Rules of Student Council

I.                     Purpose

The purpose of the student council is to raise the school spirit, generate fun project ideas, promote independent thinking, and promote responsibility taking.

II.                     Limitations

Any activity of the student council shall subject to the approval of the school principal.

III.                     Members

           The student council shall consist of Class Representatives from all classes. Each class shall have 2 Representatives. Following council positions shall be elected by the council members: President, Vice President, Secretary, Activity Coordinator, Editor in Chief and Treasurer.

IV.                     Terms

           The term of all members shall be one school year from September to June.

V.                        Election

The body of the student council consists of all elected class representatives. A Class Representative shall be elected by each class. The President, Vice president, Secretary, and Activity Coordinator shall be elected by the student council body and they shall be at least nine (9) years old. The election shall be held with open ballot. Each student shall have one vote.

VI.                        Duties

The student council shall collectively recommend ideas to the principal for promoting Chinese learning interest and raising student spirits. The individual duties are as follows:

President: Hold council meetings and attend school meetings.

Vice President: Assist the President and fulfill President's duty when he or she is absent.

Secretary: Maintain council record.

Activity Coordinator: Collect and report ideas to the student council.

Editor in Chief: Leader of the student editors to edit and publish the Torrance Chinese School yearly magazine.

Treasurer: In charge of the properties and money of the council.

Class representative: Coordinate the class with the student council.

VII.                        Meeting

The student council will hold monthly meetings. Special Session can be called by any member.