Cea Constitution

CHANDLER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (CEA) CONSTITUTION (REVISED APRIL 2007) ARTICLE I NAME The name of this Association shall be the Chandler Education Association. ARTICLE II PURPOSE The purpose of this Association is to be involved in all aspects of the educational process and an advocate for its members and the issues that affect them. ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP Section 1:

All certified employees of the Chandler Public Schools may become active members of the Association upon payment of dues to the Chandler Education, Arizona Education Association, and National Education Association.

Section 2:

The membership year shall be from September 1 through August 31.

Section 3:

Membership shall be continuing unless written notification is given to the membership chair by September 1 of the current school year. ARTICLE IV OFFICERS

The Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, four Co-Vice Presidents, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Treasurer. ARTICLE V EXECUTIVE BOARD The Executive Board shall consist of the Officers and the Immediate Past President. ARTICLE VI DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD The Executive Board shall consist of the Officers and the Immediate Past President. Section 1:

President The President shall preside over meetings of the Executive Board, the Representative Council, and the General Membership; appoint the chairperson of all standing committees and special committees with the approval of the Executive Board; and shall be a member ex-officio of all appointed committees. The President shall be the Executive Officer of the Association and shall perform all other functions usually attributed to this office, including signing vouchers.

Section 2:

Co-Vice Presidents The Vice Presidents shall serve as the Governing Board Liaison; oversee area of responsibility, maintain communication between the Association and the Board; and any other duties assigned by the President.

Section 3:

Immediate Past President The Immediate Past President shall advise the Executive Board and assist the President at the latter’s request.

Section 4:

Secretaries a. Recording Secretary The Recording Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all the Executive Board, Representative Council and General Membership meetings; shall maintain the official files; distribute minutes to all members of the Representative Council within ten days following the previously named meetings; and distribute copies of all proposed amendments to the Constitution. b. Corresponding Secretary The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for handling all correspondence for the Association as directed by the President and Executive Board and shall notify the appropriate members as to the time and place of the Executive Board, Representative Council, and General Membership meetings at least seven calendar days prior to the meetings.

Section 5:

Treasurer The Treasurer shall receive all funds of the Association and disburse them upon the authorization of the Executive Board; sign all vouchers; keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements; make regular financial reports to the Representative Council; prepare an annual financial state for publication to the General Membership and assist in the initial drafting of the budget.

Section 6:

Regular attendance at meetings shall be required of all Officers. After two (2) unexcused absences, the Executive Board by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, shall declare the position vacant.

Section 7:

All retiring Officers shall deliver to incoming Officers all money, accounts, record books, papers, files and other property belonging to the Association. ARTICLE VI BUILDING REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1:

The Building Representatives are elected by Association members of each building site to serve on the Representative Council.

Section 2:

Duties of the Building Representatives are: a. Assist with membership b. Communications c. Referrals d. Conduct elections e. Attend Representative Council Meetings f. Hold monthly building meetings at lease one week after the meeting of the Representative Council.

ARTICLE VII REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL Section 1:

The Representative Council shall consist of the Officers and the Building Representatives.

Section 2:

The Association shall guarantee ethnic minority representation on its Representative Council at least proportionate to its active ethnic minority membership.

Section 3:

The Representative Council shall also include proportionate representation between classroom teachers and administrator members based on their membership in the Association. ARTICLE VIII DUTIES OF THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Section 1:

The Representation Council shall: a. approve the budget. b. act on reports of committees, c. establish the policies of the Association. d. Adopt rules for governing the conduct of meetings as are consistent with this Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 2:

Powers not delegated to the Executive Board, the Officers or other groups in the Association shall be vested in the Representative Council.

Section 3:

Regular attendance at meetings shall be required of all Officers and Building Representatives. After two (2) unexcused absences the Representative Council by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote shall declare the position vacant. ARTICLE X TERMS AND SUCCESSION

Section 1:

Terms for Officers shall be for two (2) years. Officers may be elected for only two (2) consecutive terms. The President, two Co- Vice Presidents, and the Corresponding Secretary will be elected on even years. The other two Co- Vice Presidents. Reporting Secretary, and Treasurer will be elected on odd years. Building Representatives may be elected for succeeding terms for one (1) year.

Section 2:

When the office of President becomes vacant between elections, an emergency election will be held to determine which Vice President shall succeed.

Section 3:

When the offices of both the President and one of the Vice Presidents become vacant between elections, the remaining members of the Representative Council shall choose two of their number to serve as Vice Presidents “pro-tempore” until a General Election can be held to fill the vacancies.

Section 4:

Vacancies in the offices of the Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary or Treasurer will be filled by presidential appointment with approval of the Representative Council.

ARTICLE XI COMMITTEES Section 1.

The President may appoint the following committees: a) Membership b) Communications c) Political Action d) Grievance e) Social f) Scholarship g) Research h) Bargaining i) Constitution j) Crisis k) Elections/Nominations

Section 2:

Each committee shall keep a continuing record of activities. Chairmen shall report to the Representative Council as requested and shall prepare an annual report summarizing the committee’s work, gains made, and suggestions for future action. ARTICLE XII NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1:

The one person - one vote principle for representation on governing bodies shall be observed in all elections. All elections shall be conducted with open nominations and a secret ballot. Secret ballots may come in the form of paper, or via a secure electronic system.

Section 2:

Officers a:

Officers shall be nominated by the membership at large. The list of nominees shall be determined by the nominations received from the membership. The three members receiving the greatest number of nominations for each office shall appear on the ballot.

b:

The Committee shall distribute, via hard copy or electronically, the list of nominees to the General Membership one week prior to the election. The nominees shall be listed in alphabetical order under each office and each nominee’s building assignment shall be indicated. The committee shall prepare a printed ballot, conduct the election, tabulate the votes, and report the results to the Representative Council within three (3) school days following the election. Results shall be published and distributed to all members via hard copy or electronically. Ballots may be distributed via hard copy or electronically, as determined by the executive committee. A member may request to vote using a hard copy ballot any time electronic balloting is being implemented.

c:

The general elections for Officers shall be held during the month of April, the exact date to be determined by the Representative Council. Newly elected Officers shall be introduced at the annual recognition dinner and will assume office at the end of the current school year.

Section 2:

Building Representatives a: b:

Each building unit shall be entitled to one (1) Representative for each ten (10) members or major fraction thereof. The election of Building Representatives shall be held in the respective building no later than the week following the election of Officers and shall be conducted by the current Representatives. Results shall be reported to the President prior to introduction of Officers.

Section 3:

Delegates to Professional Organizations Election of all delegates to NEA and AEA Representative Assemblies shall be conducted by the Election Committee as directed by the President and the Representative Council.

Section 4:

Election of Officers shall be decided by a majority vote and all other elections shall be decided by plurality vote. In the event that no candidate for a specific office receives a majority/plurality, another election shall be held and the run off ballot shall list the two (2) unsuccessful candidates who received the highest number of votes in the previous election. ARTICLE XIII MEETINGS

Section 1:

General Membership meetings shall be held at least once during the school year.

Section 2:

Representative Council meetings shall be held at least once a month. The weekday of the regular monthly meeting shall be determined at the first meeting of the Representative Council following the installation of Officers in May. Onethird (1/3) of the total number of the Representative Council shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business.

Section 3:

Any member of the Association who is not a member of the Representative Council may attend its meetings and receive permission to speak.

Section 4:

Special meetings of the General Membership, the Executive Board, Representative Council may be called by the President or by written petition of fifty (50) or more members.

Section 5

Executive Board meetings shall be held at least once a month, prior to the Representative Council meeting, for the purpose of setting the agenda for the Representative Council meeting. Any member may submit agenda items. ARTICLE XIV DUES

Section 1:

The dues of the Association shall be set annually by the representative council at it’s last regularly scheduled meeting of the year. A proposal to change the dues will be publicized to the general membership a minimum of one month before the vote is to take place at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the year. ARTICLE XV RULES OF ORDER

Section 1:

The parliamentary authority of this Association shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.

Section 2:

Each member shall be guaranteed “due process”, No member shall be fined, suspended, expelled or otherwise disciplined except for non-payment of dues without being served with specific written charges and given full’ due process: rights including an administrative hearing before the Representative Council. ARTICLE XVI AMENDMENTS

Section 1:

The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those members voting at a general meeting or by two-thirds (2/3) majority of members voting at all buildings. The Representative Council shall designate which procedure of voting shall be used.

Section 2:

A proposed amendment must be submitted in writing to the representative Council before being presented to the General Membership.

Section 3:

A copy of the proposed amendment shall be given to each member ten (10) school days prior to the day designated for voting on the amendment.

Section 4:

The proposed amendment, as well as the original statement in the Constitution, shall appear on the ballot. ###

CEA 2005