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.