New York City Education Director Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced on January 8 that the biennial Community and Citywide Education Council (CEC) election season has begun, with parents now able to apply for candidacy until the deadline on February 16.
Aviles-Ramos encouraged parents, especially English-speaking immigrant parents, to apply, emphasizing that “the voice of families is an important component of any effective school system, and the Citywide and Community Education Council is one of the most impactful ways to support our students and schools.”
There are 32 Community Education Councils (CECs) in New York City, along with four citywide education councils: the Citywide High School Council (CCHS), the English Language Learners Council (CCELL), the Special Education Council, and the District 75 Education Council providing services for students with disabilities.
A total of over 350 seats are available for candidacy. The voting period will be from April 25 to May 13, and parents can cast their votes online using their NYC Schools Account to select the candidates. However, due to historically low parental participation, such as in 2023 when only about 19,000 votes were cast across the five city boroughs, representing just 2% of public school families.
Each Community Education Council (CEC) consists of 10 members elected from parents of students in pre-K through 8th grade, with an additional two members appointed by the district superintendent. The CECs work closely with the district superintendent on responsibilities and powers including approving school zoning lines, holding hearings on capital plans, and providing input on educational and policy issues.
The Citywide High School Council offers recommendations on high school student education policies and issues, with 10 elected members – two from each borough who must be current parents of public high school students. Three members are appointed: one by the NYC Public Advocate, one by the NYC Special Education Council, and one by the NYC English Language Learners Council.
The Citywide English Language Learners Council provides advice on education policies and issues for bilingual or English as a New Language (ENL) program students, with nine elected members who must be parents of English language learner students. Additionally, two members are appointed by the Public Advocate.
The Citywide Special Education Council (CCSE) advises on education policies and services for students with disabilities, consisting of nine elected members who must be parents of students in public special education schools, along with two members appointed by the Public Advocate.
District 75 Council (CCD75) advises on education policies and services for students in District 75, with nine elected members who must be parents of students in District 75, and two members appointed by the Public Advocate.
The selection process timeline includes: January 13 – February 16: Candidate application period, February 28 – April 2: Candidate forums, April 25 – May 13: Parent online voting (using NYC Schools Account), May 14 – June 2: Second round of elections if necessary, June: Announcement of election results, July 1: Inauguration of elected members.
Elected parents and guardians serve a two-year term on the board from July 1 to June 30, 2027.
For information on the structure and roles of Education Councils, the election process, qualification guidelines, important dates, frequently asked questions, and the candidate application period (January 13 to February 16), please visit the following link: https://schools.nyc.gov/Elections2025◇