PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL LANGUAGE REGARDING STANDING COMMITTEES

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1 Key to proposed changes strikethrough = proposed deletion bold italics underlined = proposed addition PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL LANGUAGE REGARDING STANDING COMMITTEES Submitted by the FEA Executive Cabinet. Approved by the FEA Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee. BYLAW III Delegate Assembly Section 4. (c) (d) Standing Committees The Delegate Assembly shall have the following standing committees which shall be accountable to the Governance Board, Executive Cabinet and Executive Officers of FEA when the Delegate Assembly is not in session: Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: processing proposals for Constitution or Bylaw amendments in the manner provided in the Constitution and these Bylaws; recommending constitutional amendments to the Governance Board; and, rendering, upon request, advisory opinions involving the interpretation of the Constitution or Bylaws. Government Relations/Legislative Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: developing legislative and ballot initiative goals for FEA and recommending the procedures to be followed in the endorsement of candidates for state and local office. The Government Relations/Legislative Committee shall coordinate with committees of continuous existence or political committees established by FEA in furtherance of their political goals. Minority Affairs Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: monitoring minority leadership development, compliance with state and national ethnic diversity goals and ensuring that the diversity required by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of FEA is achieved. Professional Issues in Education Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: the review of, and recommendations regarding, peer assistance and review, National Board Certification, new unionism, intervention programs, higher standards for education employees; the review of, and recommendations for, improving the quality of teacher and ESP education, vocational education, exceptional education, and migrant education programs; the review of, and recommendations regarding, professional standards for all pre-service and education personnel; collaborating with other standing committees and program and policy councils to advance the goals and objectives of the FEA. 1

2 (d) (e) (f) (g) Goals and Budget Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: meeting with the executive officers and staff of FEA to formulate budget proposals to be furnished to the Executive Cabinet for its review and recommendations. The Executive Cabinet may make additions or changes as appropriate or it may return the proposed budget to the Budget Committee for further consideration. Following approval by the Executive Cabinet of the proposed budgets, they will be recommended to the Governance Board for review. If additional information and/or modifications are required, the Governance Board may return the proposed budget to the Executive Cabinet or to the Goals and Budget Committee with appropriate directions for modifications, or the Governance Board may make necessary modifications to the budgets and recommend them to the Delegate Assembly for adoption. The proposed budgets shall include: (1) An administrative budget based on current dues of the FEA, and (2) A budget including any proposed new items along with their rationale, as well as recommended changes in the dues structure necessary to fund those new items. In those years in which new programs are not recommended and no adjustment in dues is needed to maintain current programs and operations, only a budget based on current dues will be submitted. Members of the FEA Goals and Budget Committee will be elected by the FEA Governance Board for three (3) year terms of office. Credentials and Elections Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: supervising the accreditation and registration of delegates to the Delegate Assembly and shall have the authority to review, investigate, mediate, and make recommendations to the Governance Board regarding local elections disputes provided that all local appeals have been exhausted. The Chairperson of the Credentials and Elections Committee shall give a preliminary report at the first meeting of the Delegate Assembly and a final report when registration has been completed. The seating of any delegate may be changed by means of a Motion to Amend such report. Action by a majority vote of the Delegate Assembly, which has jurisdiction over the seating of its delegates, shall be final. A challenge to the seating of any delegate shall be made in writing and delivered to the Chairperson of the Credentials and Elections Committee. The President of FEA shall also charge the Committee with responsibility for the conduct of elections of executive officers and voting on policies and on proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of FEA. Human and Civil Rights Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to include: promoting and supporting diversity, tolerance and social justice by coordinating the efforts to ensure effective minority training, expanding minority participation, enhancing minority leadership development, and coordinating human and civil rights activities throughout FEA, providing recognition of persons who contribute substantially to human and civil rights causes, and coordinating efforts to address the concerns of women in education. Further, the committee on human and civil rights shall review efforts made to achieve diversity required by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution and make appropriate findings and recommendations to the Governance Board or Delegate Assembly for any actions deemed necessary. Committee on Affiliate Services Membership Development/Internal Organizing Committee The President of FEA shall charge the Committee with its responsibilities to 2

3 include: reviewing and recommending guidelines and policies relating to leadership training, organizing activities, negotiations, membership development, retirement, student program, and economic services. Section 5. Program and Policy Councils The FEA Delegate Assembly shall have the following Program and Policy Councils which shall be accountable to the Governance Board, Executive Cabinet and Executive Officers of FEA when the Delegate Assembly is not in session. Such program and policy councils and the chairpersons shall be appointed by the President of FEA and shall be created to represent the various membership constituencies of the FEA. Education Staff Professional-Program and Policy Council The President of FEA shall appoint to the ESP Program and Policy Council, presidents of small, medium and large ESP locals, including ranking ESP officers in wall to wall locals, along with at-large members. The President of the FEA shall charge the Council with its duties and responsibilities which shall include but not be limited: (1) To recommend to the FEA Executive Cabinet (or Governance Board or Delegate Assembly, as appropriate) policy relating to issues uniquely affecting FEA ESP members, including working conditions and compensation, organizing and membership development, professional training, and communications and such other issues as identified by the PPC; and, (2) To recommend to the FEA Executive Cabinet (or Governance Board or Delegate Assembly, as appropriate) programmatic, budgetary and services proposals designed to develop and promote ESP interests and programs at the local, state and national levels. Instructional Personnel - Program and Policy Council The President of FEA shall appoint to the FEA Instructional Personnel Program and Policy Council, presidents of small, medium and large locals, along with at-large members. The President of the FEA shall charge the Council with its duties and responsibilities which shall include but not be limited: (1) To recommend to the FEA Executive Cabinet (or Governance Board or Delegate Assembly, as appropriate) policy relating to issues uniquely affecting FEA instructional personnel members, including working conditions and compensation, organizing and membership development, peer assistance and review, National Board Certification, the review of, and recommendations for, improving the quality of teacher education, vocational education, exceptional student education and migrant education programs, the review of and recommendations regarding professional standards for all pre-service and education personnel; and (2) To recommend to the FEA Executive Cabinet (or Governance Board or Delegate Assembly, as appropriate) programmatic, budgetary and services proposals designed to develop and promote instructional personnel interests and programs at the local, state and national levels. 3

4 Proposed Bylaw Amendments Relating to Proportional Weighted Vote for Retired and Student Members Submitted by the FEA Executive Cabinet from Governance Board Referral. Approved by the FEA Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee BYLAW III Delegate Assembly Section 8. (c) (d) Voting The Delegate Assembly shall conduct its business with a weighted voting procedure so that each local represented at the Delegate Assembly will have a vote equal to the number of members of the affiliated member organization which is represented by and which elected such delegates. Only members in good standing shall be counted in allocating the number of members to be represented in weighted voting by the delegates to the Delegate Assembly. FEA-Retired and Student FEA shall each constitute a statewide local affiliate for weighted voting purposes. For purposes of calculating a weighted vote, each FEA-Retired and Student FEA member will be assigned a weight equal to 25% of an active member. The members in good standing reported to FEA 90 days prior to the start of the Delegate Assembly shall be the number of members used in calculating the weighted vote. Not less than ten (10) days prior to the start of the Delegate Assembly, each local affiliate will be notified by FEA of the weighted vote to be accorded each delegate. Votes taken on the floor of the Delegate Assembly shall not normally be cast on a weighted vote basis. Provided, however, any delegate may raise as a point of order the request to have a vote counted in accordance with the weighted voting procedure. Such point of order shall be raised prior to the vote being taken or within a reasonable time thereafter to permit re-voting on the weighted vote basis. Upon such request, the Delegate Assembly, by a 25% stand up, unweighted vote, shall determine if the point of order should be honored and the vote taken on a weighted basis. If so, the vote of the Delegate Assembly shall be taken on a weighted basis and recorded in the minutes accordingly. BYLAW IV Governance Board Section 3. Voting Weighted voting based upon a local affiliate s membership as reported to FEA as of January 15th of each year shall apply to actions of the Governance Board with each Board member casting a vote in proportion to the number of members in the local affiliate from which the Governance Board member has been elected. Governance Board members elected under other circumstances shall not have a weighted vote. FEA-Retired and Student FEA shall each constitute a statewide local affiliate for weighted voting purposes. For purposes of calculating a weighted vote, each FEA-Retired and Student FEA member will be assigned a weight equal to 25% of an active member. 4

5 Proposed amendments relating to FEA Chief of Staff vacancy Submitted by the FEA Executive Cabinet ARTICLE V Executive Cabinet Section 5. Duties The Executive Cabinet shall have the responsibility and authority to take action and to transact FEA business between meetings of the Delegate Assembly and the Governance Board and to recommend policy changes and to act on an emergency basis. The President shall have the authority to assign additional duties to the Executive Cabinet. A. A summary of action taken by the Executive Cabinet shall be furnished to the Governance Board. B. The Executive Cabinet shall review and recommend to the Governance Board the budget of FEA in accordance with the Bylaws. C. Between Delegate Assemblies and meetings of the Governance Board, the Executive Cabinet shall recommend necessary modifications to the budget to be acted on by the Governance Board on an emergency basis. D. The Executive Cabinet shall recommend to the Governance Board appropriate action to be taken to ensure diversity at all levels of FEA. E. The Executive Cabinet, upon the approval of the President, shall hire a Chief of Staff who shall be the chief administrator of FEA and shall work under and be evaluated by the President. (1) The Chief of Staff shall hire and supervise staff of FEA and shall have the responsibility to provide for representation of FEA in collective bargaining with staff. The hiring of management staff shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Cabinet. (2) The Chief of Staff shall administer and coordinate the business of FEA. The Chief of Staff shall work in conjunction with the Secretary/Treasurer on all financial matters and shall keep the Executive Cabinet and Governance Board apprised of activities. (3) The Chief of Staff shall be the custodian of all records of FEA and shall make provision for the retention and safekeeping of same. (4) The Chief of Staff shall periodically prepare a report to the President and Executive Cabinet describing the levels of ethnic minority and diversity representation present on staff, committees, program and policy councils, task forces and other groups which are created within FEA. (5) The Chief of Staff shall be granted a two-year contract of employment with FEA for such terms and conditions recommended by the Governance Board to which the Chief of Staff and the Executive Cabinet agree. 5

6 (6) By a majority vote of the Executive Cabinet and the Governance Board, the President shall fill the position of Chief of Staff, or allow the vacancy for a time certain. The time limit may be adjusted by subsequent action. BYLAW VII Chief of Staff and Staff Section 2. Contractual Status The Chief of Staff shall be granted a two-year contract of employment with FEA upon terms and conditions to be negotiated between the Chief of Staff and the Executive Cabinet within the parameters established by the Governance Board. In the event of a vacancy in the Chief of Staff position or a fiscal or other emergency situation, the President and/or his/her designee(s), upon notice and approval by the FEA Executive Cabinet and Governance Board, shall perform the duties of the FEA Chief of Staff set forth above. Notice of NO DUES INCREASE AMENDMENT BYLAW II Membership Section 6. (c) Membership Dues The dues required for membership in FEA shall be established by the Delegate Assembly. A simple majority of delegates voting by stand-up vote shall be required to amend the dues amount stated in these Bylaws. Members of FEA shall also be members of FEA s local affiliate and shall (1) pay the dues and assessments on behalf of the local affiliate, FEA, and be a member of and pay the higher of the dues and assessments of the National Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers, to at least one such national organization as required by the policies of FEA and (2) shall make per capita payments required by the Florida AFL-CIO. The dues for each category of membership will be based upon a member s annualized salary, as follows: (1) Active Member Dues Annual dues for active members whose regular annual salary is equal to or greater than the lowest base salary established for instructional employees within any school district within the State of Florida shall be two hundred and eight dollars and seventeen cents ($208.17) for the school year. Such dues amount shall be referred to as full dues. Active members whose annual base salary is more than one-third (1/3) of the lowest base salary established above for instructional employees within any school district within the State of Florida, up to the lowest base salary amount, shall pay one-half (1/2) of the full dues amount. 6