FREEPORT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I NAME ARTICLE II PURPOSES ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

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1 FREEPORT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I NAME Name and Affiliations The name of the Association shall be the Freeport Teachers Association. The Freeport Teachers Association shall be affiliated with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and its national affiliates. ARTICLE II PURPOSES The purposes of this Association shall be: 1. To stimulate and render more effective the educational services of teachers; 2. To promote and stimulate better educational opportunities for all the children of Freeport; 3. To promote the interests of public education; 4. To work for higher professional standards and performance among teachers; 5. To promote meaningful relationships with the community; 6. To consider matters pertaining to the welfare and grievances of teachers and protect their rights; 7. To instill and encourage in all teachers an interest in local, state, and national matters; 8. To encourage membership and participation in local, state, and national professional associations.- ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP Section 1: Regular Membership Membership in the Association shall be open to all professionally certificated by the Department of Education of the State of New York, or occupying any position for which such professional certification is normally required: classroom teachers assistants to the principal, team leaders, lead teachers, cluster leaders, science facilitators, department heads, curriculum specialists, special teachers, nurse teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, school psychologists, registered nurses, attendance teachers, non-classroom teachers. Community Schoolteachers, part-time professional employees, as defined in our contract and includes membership in the New York State United Teachers and American Federation of Teachers. Section 2: Retired Teachers Membership Persons who retire from the FT A will remain non-paying members and shall have full privileges of the Association, but will not be granted the privilege of making motions or voting. Pg.1

2 ARTICLE IV DUES Section 1: Determination a. Dues of the FTA shall be determined by the membership by or before the last general meeting of each school year, upon recommendation of the Executive Board, and upon presentation of a tentative budget. b. Association dues will include $5.00 a year in order to maintain membership in the Teachers Benevolent Fund. c. Association dues shall automatically include NYSUT and AFT dues amounts as ratified at annual NYSUT and AFT conventions. Section 2: Purpose These dues shall cover the expenses of the Association as approved by the membership and shall include the cost of membership in NYSUT and the AFT. Section 3: Membership Cards Each member shall be provided with a membership card by NYSUT upon receipt of his annual dues. Membership cards shall expire October 1 of each year. Only members shall be entitled to vote with the following exception: A person who is newly employed by the Freeport School System, who is eligible to be a member, and has expressed the desire to become a member of the Association may vote without payment of dues until October 1. Section 4: Payroll Deduction Payroll deduction procedures shall be in accordance with our contract. Section 5: Payment Teachers employed from September 1 must pay full dues for Association membership. Teachers newly employed on or after October 1, shall pay a proportional amount of the current year's dues for Association membership. ARTICLE V OFFICERS Section 1: The officers of this Association shall be: a. President b. 1st Vice-President c. 2nd Vice-President d. Secretary e. Treasurer f. Membership Coordinator Honorariums shall be granted by recommendation of the Executive Board and approved by the general membership. Each percent of new money negotiated shall be applied each year to existing honorariums. Section 2: Eligibility Only those members who hold tenure shall be eligible to hold the office of President, 1 st Vice President, 2 nd Vice President, Treasurer, and Membership Coordinator in the Association. Pg.2

3 Section 3: Nominations a. An Election Supervision committee consisting of one member from each school shall be appointed no later than March 15 by the President with the approval of the Executive Board. The committee will elect its own chairperson. This process shall be held in abeyance during the course of negotiations and shall be reconvened thirty (30) school days after the ratification of the contract by both parties. b. The Election Supervision committee shall prepare and distribute a written notification to each FTA member indicating election requirements and petition deadline date. c. All nominations shall be made by petition containing at least 15 members' signatures, presented to the chairperson of the Election Supervision committee by the last working day in April. d. In case of a contest, elections will be by written ballot. Section 4: Election The election supervision committee shall have the responsibility of supervising the election of officers and/or verifying the tabulations of the votes and reporting the winners to the membership. The election of officers shall take place by written ballot at each building on the third Wednesday in May. Section 5: Assumption of Office Officers for the succeeding year shall assume office at the June meeting of the Delegate Assembly. Section 6: Term of Office The term of office of the elected officers of the FTA shall be three years. Section 7: Proceedings for the Removal of Officers a: Following the filing of a written petition of one - third of the total number of the Representative Assembly, the President or designee shall call a meeting to consider the removal of that elected officer. Representatives may remove the officer by a roll call vote requiring two-thirds of the ballots cast. b: In any meeting of the Representative Assembly called for considering the removal of an officer, such officer shall have the right to be heard or represented on her/his own behalf following timely notice of said meeting. ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE BOARD Section 1: Members The Executive Board shall consist of the six officers, the immediate past president, the grievance chairperson, one representative NYSUT, the AFT delegate, one representative retirement delegate, building coordinators, publicity chair, professional development chair, and a retired teacher delegate. Section 2: Meeting The President or any three members of the Board may call a meeting of the Executive Board. Sections: Quorum A majority of the Executive Board members shall constitute a quorum. Pg.3

4 Section 4: Functions a. The Executive Board shall carry on all the business of the Association between meetings of the Delegate Assembly. b. It shall formulate plans for the proper functioning of the FTA. c. It shall be empowered to authorize disbursement of funds for non-budgeted items in amounts up to $ but amounts over that, and up to $ shall require approval of the Delegate Assembly. The Delegate Assembly may initiate action on such disbursements. d. It shall provide input and preview the budget with the supervision of the Treasurer, unless a budget committee shall have been appointed by the President. e. Its approval of the President's committee appointments shall be required. ARTICLE VII DUTIES OF OFFICERS Section 1: President a. The duty of the President shall be to preside at meetings of the Association, the Executive Board, the Delegate Assembly and serve as chief NYSUT/AFT Delegate. b. Shall create special committees as needed, with the consent of the Executive Board or the Delegate Assembly. c. Shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Election Supervision Committee. d. Shall represent the Association in an official capacity whenever required. e. Shall be empowered to provide one of the two signatures required on Association checks. f. Shall be empowered to suspend members of a committee or Delegate Assembly for just cause. Upon recommendation of the President, the Executive Board may suspend a member of the Board. Such suspensions shall be confirmed by removal after following Article V, section 7. The President shall be empowered to appoint a replacement to fill such a vacancy. Such appointment shall be ratified by the Executive Board or the Delegate Assembly. Section 2: Vice Presidents There shall be two Vice Presidents: a 1 st Vice President and a 2 nd Vice President, either one responsible for elementary and the other for secondary matters. a. The 1 st V.P. shall assume all the duties of the President upon the President's inability to fulfill his/her off ice, whether temporarily, or for the remainder of the term. b. The 1 st V.P. shall be the coordinator of all standing committees, and as such shall have the right to attend all meetings. c. The 2nd V.P. shall be responsible for assisting the President with external affairs, liaison with other locals, PTA and inter-building communications. d. Responsibilities listed in b and c may be interchangeable between Vice Presidents under the direction and consent of the President. Section 3: Secretary The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all meetings of the general membership, Delegate Assembly, and Executive Board; and shall distribute appropriate copies of the records of the meetings. The Secretary shall also be responsible for correspondence as determined by the President. Section 4: Treasurer a. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of the finances of the Association, and pg.4

5 shall have charge of all monies, and shall create the succeeding year's budget in conjunction with the President. The Treasurer shall make disbursements as authorized by the Association, Delegate Assembly, or Executive Board. b. Shall be empowered to provide one of the two required signatures on association checks. Section 5: Membership Coordinator a. The Membership Coordinator shall receive dues and keep an accurate list, by school, of all members in good standing. b. Shall be empowered to provide one of the two signatures required on Association checks, when either the President or Treasurer is unable. c. Shall be the chairperson of the Membership Committee if such committee has been created by the President. d. At the direction of the President shall be responsible for keeping the membership informed about all matters relating to local, state, and national business, and shall act as Vote Cope Chair. ARTICLE VIII DELEGATE ASSEMBLY Section 1: Election and Responsibilities a. The membership of the Freeport Teachers Association in each school shall elect one Building Delegate for each ten members or major fraction thereof in that building plus one. If the membership fails to achieve maximum representation, the President shall be empowered to appoint additional delegates. b. This election shall be held by May 15, and said Building Delegates shall assume office at the June meeting of the Delegate Assembly. c. Each Building Delegate shall act as a group leader for a group of ten faculty members in the Association in his school. d. The Building Delegate shall act as liaison between his group of ten and the Executive Board. e. After 3 absences, a delegate may be asked to resign. Such action shall be initiated by the President. f. Upon such resignation, the constituents of this delegate shall select a replacement. Section 2: Building Coordinator a. The post of Building Coordinator shall be created for the purpose of coordinating and supervising the activities of each building's delegates. The B.C. shall be chosen from among the delegates of each building by the delegates at a building meeting held as soon as possible after the election of the delegates by the members. b. The B.C. shall coordinate the communication between the faculty and delegates of his building and the President and Executive Board. The B.C. shall submit, at the request of the President, a written weekly summary on affairs, activities, and problems within his/her building. c. Shall oversee the membership and grievance activities of the building in conjunction with the respective officers. d. The B.C. shall receive an honorarium, set by the Delegate Assembly, and shall not be eligible for this post if already an officer of the Association or the recipient of another honorarium. The B.C. shall be a tenured teacher. e. In buildings with over 100 members a 1 st and 2 nd Building coordinator may be chosen with Presidential approval. A list of distinct and delineated responsibilities for each will be provided to the President prior to the new school term. The honorarium for each building coordinator in this instance will consist of the base stipend plus the stipend normally pg.5