Ankeny Education Association

ARTICLE I.        AFFILIATION

This Association shall affiliate with the Polk Suburban Uniserv Unit, the Iowa State Education Association, and the National Education Association, hereinafter designated as PSUU, ISEA, and NEA, respectively, under their rules.

ARTICLE II.        PURPOSES

The primary purposes of the AEA shall be:
A.    To represent all AEA members of the Ankeny School District in their employment relations.
B.    To work for continued improvement of school conditions and to seek solutions to the community problems relating to the schools.
C.    To improve the professional, economic, social, and civic status of its members.
D.    To support and strengthen the AEA, PSUU, ISEA, and NEA through participation and understanding of their programs and goals.

The product of these efforts results in a more professional and satisfied staff, which in turn beneficially impacts students and student learning.

ARTICLE III.    MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1.         ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP  

A.    Active membership in the AEA shall be open to all persons engaged in educational work of a professional nature in the Ankeny School District; and who qualify for Active membership under provisions of the Articles of Incorporation of the ISEA.
B.    Active membership in the PSUU, ISEA, and the NEA shall be required for Active membership in the AEA.
C.    Active membership shall have all rights and privileges in the AEA.

SECTION 2.    GENERAL PROVISIONS

A.    Membership shall not be denied any employee of the Ankeny School District, who is otherwise eligible, because of age, race, gender, religion, physical disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.
B.    Membership shall be continuous until the member’s employment causes his/her membership eligibility to change, or until he/she leaves the employment of the school system, resigns in writing from the AEA, or fails to pay membership dues.


SECTION 3.        HONORARY MEMBERSHIP  

Honorary membership may be extended to retired teachers or to anyone whom the AEA shall select because of special interest in education. No dues shall be assessed. Honorary membership does not include the rights and privileges of active membership.

SECTION 4.        REVOCATION OF MEMBERSHIP  

A.    The AEA Executive Board may suspend from membership rights or expel any member who they find in willful violation of the AEA Constitution and Policies and Procedures after a full and fair investigation.
B.    Any member n good standing has the right to file a complaint alleging such violations of the AEA Constitution and Policies and Procedures. Such complaints shall be in writing and submitted to the President of the Association.
C.    Members so charged with violations of said Constitution and Policies and Procedures shall be notified in writing of the time and place when the Executive Board shall hear the charges. Member shall be notified that s/he has the right to be present with counsel of their choice during such meeting, shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses and offer other testimony judged beneficial to his/her defense.
D.    The Executive Board hearing shall not be sooner than five (5) school days following notification to the accused of the charges. Such notice shall include a copy of the submitted charges.
E.    Any decision of the Executive Board may be appealed to the Representative Assembly of the AEA at its next regular meeting.

ARTICLE IV.    OFFICERS

A.    The officers of the AEA shall consist of a President, a Vice-President/President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
B.    All officers must be either active, reserve, or life members of the AEA, PSUU, ISEA, and NEA at the time of their election and during the term of their office.
C.    Whenever a majority of the Executive Board shall agree that an officer has been grossly negligent of the duties defined in the Policies and Procedures or is incapacitated or voluntarily resigns from office, they shall recommend to the Representative Assembly that the office be declared vacant.
D.    An office declared vacant by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Representative Assembly meeting in regular session shall immediately be filled for the unexpired term by election of a replacement from the membership of the Representative Assembly.
E.    The chair of the minority affairs committee will serve on the Executive Board.

ARTICLE V.        EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1.        MEMBERSHIP
The Executive Board shall consist of the officers, the immediate past-president, and the chairpersons of the standing committees as listed in Article XVI  of the Policies and Procedures of the AEA.

SECTION 2.        AUTHORITY    

The Executive Board shall be the executive authority for the AEA and shall fulfill as the legislative authority of the AEA at the discretion of the President in the state of emergency or in a mater of timeliness.

ARTICLE VI.    REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

SECTION 1.        MEMBERSHIP

The Representative Assembly shall consist of the Executive Board and one or more representatives from each attendance center. Members of the Representative Assembly must be Active or Honorary members of the Association during the term of their office.

SECTION 2.         CHAIRPERSON

The President of the AEA shall serve as the chairperson of the Representative Assembly.

SECTION 3.         AUTHORITY
   
The Representative Assembly shall be the legislative and policy-making authority for the AEA.

SECTION 4.        OPEN MEETINGS

Any member of the AEA who is not a member of the Representative Assembly may attend meetings of the Assembly, shall sit apart from the voting body, and may participate in the proceedings upon recognition from the chairperson but shall not have the right to vote.

SECTION 5.        ETHNIC MINORITIES

An ethnic minority representative shall be elected by the general membership should there be any ethnic minority members in said Association. A member of the minority affairs could fulfill such role.

ARTICLE VI.    RULES OF ORDER

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not specifically stated in the Constitution or the Policies and Procedures.

ARTICLE VII.    MEETINGS
SECTION 1.        EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall meet on the first Tuesday of each school month. Additional meetings will be held at the call of the President or at the request of three (3) members of the Executive Board.

SECTION 2.        REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

The Representative Assembly shall meet on the third Tuesday of each school month. Additional meetings may be held at the request of ten (10) percent of the Assembly membership.

SECTION 3.        GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

The general membership shall meet whenever necessary for the discussion of Association issues.

SECTION 4.        QUORUM

Seven (7) members of the Executive Board, thirteen (13) members of the Representative Assembly, and fifty-one (51) percent of the general membership shall each constitute a quorum at their respective meetings.

SECTION 5.        BUILDING MEETINGS

Building representatives shall be responsible for dissemination of information after each Representative Assembly in a timely manner. Building meetings may be called by the building representative(s) and/or a majority of the staff , or the President, whenever necessary.

ARTICLE VIII.    DUES

SECTION 1.        DUES ASSESSMENT

The annual dues of the AEA will be determined annually by the Representative Assembly after the adoption of the AEA program and budget.

SECTION 2.        DUES REFUND

At such time that any AEA member notifies the AEA President of his/her termination of employment with the Ankeny School District and requests available dues refund, the following procedure will be followed:

A.    The membership chairperson will:
    1.    Compute the dues refund on the basis of the current refund policy of             PSUU, ISEA, NEA, and the following AEA refund policy.
    2.    Base return on the current dues rate if dues were paid in full during the             membership drive. No refund will be made to affected members who             chose monthly dues deduction.
    3.    Write a letter to those organizations listed above who allow a refund,             asking for a credit.
    4.    Send a copy of all letters asking for credit to the AEA Treasurer.
    5.    Send to the AEA Treasurer the affected member’s request for a dues             refund along with a total of all dues to be refunded to the affected                 member.
B.    The AEA Treasurer will:
    1.    Write a check for the total refund and send it to the affected member.
    2.    File in the Treasurer’s records the member’s letter of request for a dues             refund and the letters received from the membership chairperson.

ARTICLE IX.    FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the AEA shall begin on the first day of September and end on the thirty-first day of August of each year.

ARTICLE X.        ELECTIONS

SECTION 1.        NOMINATIONS

A.    All Active members of this Association may nominate a candidate or declare his/her candidacy for any office during the month of February in the year that such term of office expires.
B.    The President shall appoint an Elections Committee, no later than the February Representative Assembly meeting. The Elections Committee shall secure a slate of candidates for each open office. The Committee shall also supervise the election process.
C.    Names of persons nominated shall be submitted to the Committee for Elections who shall report such nominations to the Representative Assembly at its March meeting.
D.    Every effort will be made to encourage minority participation in the governance and committee structure of the AEA.
E.    Representative Assembly delegates or other association members present at the March meeting of the Representative Assembly may make further nominations for any open position.

SECTION 2.        BALLOTING

A.    On the first school day in April, all Active members in good standing shall vote for the nominated candidates. Officers or members-at-large may be elected by a write-in vote.
B.    Voting shall be by secret, written ballot in accordance with procedures developed by the Elections Committee and approved by the Representative Assembly.
C.    Building representative shall have charge of the election in their respective attendance centers. No ballots will be counted in any building until all ballots have been collected. The ballots of members in each attendance center shall be counted, verified, and forwarded by the building representatives to the chairperson of the Elections Committee. The official tally with ballots attached shall be delivered to the AEA President by the chairperson of the Elections Committee.
D.    The Elections Committee shall report all the results of the election to the President, who shall cause them to be published. Official building results will not be released to the membership prior to a Presidential announcement.
E.    If the voting results are to be contested, this must be done prior to the end of the Representative Assembly following the Presidential announcement of the vote. If the vote is not contested, the President shall declare the issue closed and call for a motion to destroy the ballots.

SECTION 3.        SELECTION OF BUILDING REPRESENTATIVES                     
Representatives shall volunteer to be building representatives on a basis of one (1) per  twenty (20) AEA members, or major fraction thereof, in each attendance center. If the number of volunteers exceeds the needs of the Association, an election shall be held. No center shall have fewer than one (1) representative. The Governmental Affairs Committee shall conduct the election.

ARTICLE XI.    TERMS OF OFFICE

SECTION 1.        OFFICERS

All terms of office shall begin on May 1. The President and Vice President/President-Elect shall each serve two (2)-year terms. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be two-year terms elected on alternate years.

SECTION 2.        BUILDING REPRESENTATIVES

Building Representatives and their alternates shall be elected for a two-year term that shall begin on May 1 of the year of the election.

ARTICLE XII.    DUTIES OF ELECTED LEADERS

SECTION 1.        PRESIDENT

The President shall:
A.    Preside over meetings of the Executive Board and the Representative Assembly.
B.    Appoint special committees
C.    Create and distribute the agenda for meetings over which s/he presides
D.    Appoint all standing committees and chairpersons for said committees upon the approval of the Executive Board
E.    Serve as an Ex-officio member of all standing committees
F.    Be the executive officer for the AEA
G.    Represent the AEA before the public or in private, either in person or through selected representatives
H.    Perform all other functions usually attributed to the office
I.    Serve as School Board liaison or appoint another person to fill that position.

SECTION 2.        VICE-PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT-ELECT

The Vice-President, President-Elect shall:
A.    Perform those duties usually attributed to the office
B.    Work closely with one or more standing committees as the President may direct
C.    Serve as the AEA representative to the PSUU Executive Board and shall attend all meetings of said board.

SECTION 3.        SECRETARY

The Secretary shall:
A.    Keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board, Representative Assembly, and General Membership
B.    Maintain official files
C.    Assist the President with AEA correspondence

SECTION 4.        TREASURER

The Treasurer shall:
A.    Hold the funds of the AEA and disburse them upon authorization by the Executive Board.
B.    Bill the members for their annual dues, supervise the collection of dues, and transmit amounts due to PSUU and ISEA
C.    Keep accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements and shall report to each meeting of the Representative Assembly
D.    Present the financial records of the AEA for an annual audit and shall prepare an annual financial statement for publication to the general membership
E.    Assist in the initial drafting of the annual budget
F.    Maintain an accurate roll of members and shall be the contact with the business office regarding such roll

SECTION 5.        BUILDING REPRESENTATIVES

The Building Representatives shall:
A.    Appoint such member committees as are needed to conduct the business of the AEA at the attendance center level
B.    Gather the wishes of the members that s/he represents and  report them to the governing bodies of the AEA.
C.    Attend regular meetings of the Representative Assembly unless s/he receives prior excuse from the President. After two unexcused absences of a Representative, the President may declare the seat unfilled and call for an election to fill out the remainder of the term. The President may appoint a member in good standing to organize the special election.

SECTION 6.        PAST PRESIDENT

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

SECTION 7.        SCHOOL BOARD LIAISON

The School Board Liaison shall:
A.    Attend all School Board meetings
B.    Contact School Board members as deemed necessary by the President and/or Executive Board and/or Representative Assembly
C.    Report to the Representative Assembly and Executive Board

ARTICLE XIII.    GENERAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

SECTION 1.        CONFLICT OF INTEREST

There shall be no business or financial conflict of interest by any of the officers or agents of the AEA or members of their immediate family.

SECTION 2.        PREFERENTIAL LOANS

The AEA shall prohibit payment of any preferential loans of Association money to officers or agents of the AEA.

SECTION 3.        OPEN RECORDS

All financial records shall be open for inspection by any member in good standing of the AEA upon written request and reasonable notice.

SECTION 4.        BONDING OF AGENTS OF THE ASSOCIATION

All officers and agents of the AEA shall be bonded according to regulations developed by the Iowa Public Employee Board.

SECTION 5.        POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

The AEA shall not make any contributions of dues money to any political party, organization, or individual candidate(s).

ARTICLE XIV.    DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall be responsible for the management of the AEA, recommend approval of all expenditures of the Representative Assembly, fill vacancies on any standing committees, and suggest policies for consideration by the Representative Assembly.

ARTICLE XV.    DUTIES OF THE REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

The Representative Assembly shall approve the budget, set the dues for the AEA, act on reports of committees, approve resolutions and other policy statements and shall adopt procedures for implementing the Policies and Procedures and those to be followed in censuring, suspending and expelling members for cause and for reinstating members. It may adopt such rules regarding the conduct of the AEA, and the conduct of meetings as are consistent with the Policies and Procedures. It shall be the final judge of the qualifications and election of officers and building representatives. Powers not delegated to the Executive Board, the officers, or other groups in the AEA shall be vested in the Representative Assembly.

ARTICLE XVI.    STANDING COMMITTEES

There shall be eight (8) standing committees in the AEA. They are listed and described in the Sections 1-8.

SECTION 1.        GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS / RESOLUTIONS

The Governmental Affairs / Resolutions Committee will:
A.    Provide current information to AEA on educational issues and political candidates impacting education
B.    Serve as the election committee
C.    Make recommendations to the membership on candidates for office
D.    Represent the AEA at ISEA Candidate Interviews

SECTION 2.        INSTRUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL                             DEVELOPMENT

The Instruction and Professional Development (IPD) Committee will:
A.    Inform membership of instructional and professional development opportunities
B.    Facilitate activities surrounding Administrator Evaluations
C.    Maintain communication with the Central Office Curriculum and Instruction District Curriculum Director

SECTION 3.        MEMBERSHIP

The Membership Committee will:
A.    Distribute and collect membership materials
B.    Promote membership in the AEA
C.    Organize new teacher activities
D.    Give Treasurer the membership report by Sept. 30 and update as needed
E.    Attend ISEA/PSUU training
F.    Maintain communication with HR

SECTION 4.        NEGOTIATIONS

The Negotiations Committee will:
A.    Assist in developing, distributing, and assessing negotiations surveys
B.    Participate in negotiations meetings and decisions
C.    Communicate with AEA members about negotiations, as needed
D.    Attend ISEA/PSUU trainings and meetings
E.    Report to the Representative Assembly

SECTION 5.        PUBLIC RELATIONS & SOCIAL

The Public Relations & Social Committee will:
A.    Facilitate activities around American Education Week (November), National Teacher Day (May), the Retirement/Recognition Ceremony (May), and other AEA Recognitions
B.    Work with committees and publicize AEA activities as needed
C.    Organize, publicize, and carry out social events for members

SECTION 6.        SCHOLARSHIP

The Scholarship Committee will:
A.    Promote and maintain the AEA scholarship fund
B.    Select recipients of the AEA scholarship based on applications
C.    Publicize results

SECTION 7.        COMMUNICATION

The Communication Committee will:
A.    Serve as the AEA Communicator editor
B.    Disseminate newsletters, as needed
C.    Maintain AEA Website
D.    Work with PR, as needed

SECTION 8.        CONTRACT MAINTENANCE

The Contract Maintenance Committee will:
A.    Work with AEA members to achieve resolution to school-related/contract problems
B.    Work with members and administration in understanding contract rights and responsibilities
C.    Maintain contact with members and administration regarding teacher evaluations
D.    Attend ISEA/PSUU training

SECTION 9.        COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

These committees shall have sufficient membership to carry out their assigned tasks. Care shall be exercised to see that each committee has representation from the various groups of the Association membership.

SECTION 10.        MEETINGS

Each committee shall meet  as appropriate to insure completion of the tasks assigned by the Executive Board and/or Representative Assembly.

SECTION 11.        REPORTS

The chairperson of each standing committee shall make an oral report of the committee’s activities to the Representative Assembly as requested. The chairperson shall file a written  report outlining objectives, actions, and gains, at the request of the president.
 
SECTION 12.        OTHER DUTIES

When appropriate, the chairperson shall be a working member of the corresponding PSUU committee structure and ISEA.

ARTICLE XVII.    SPECIAL COMMITTEES

The President shall appoint committees as needed for expeditious handling of AEA business, and shall discharge them upon completion of their duties. No officer of the AEA shall serve either on the Elections Committee or on the Audit Committee.

ARTICLE XVIII.    ELECTION OF DELEGATES TO PSUU, ISEA, and NEA ASSEMBLIES

A.    The Representative Assembly shall annually provide for the election of the allocated delegates and alternates to the various Delegate Assemblies.
B.    The election as President and Vice-President/President-Elect of the AEA shall be considered election as two of those allocated delegates. If only one delegate is allocated, the President shall be that delegate.
C.    All active members of the AEA shall be eligible for election and shall have the right to vote in the election by secret ballot for any other allocated delegate seat.
D.    Any vacancies that occur after the election shall be filled by the Representative Assembly.
E.    Each attendance center shall elect one (1) person to serve a one (1) year term as a delegate to the PSUU Representative Assembly meetings. Election shall take place on the first school day in April.
F.    The ISEA Representative Assembly Delegates shall be elected to a two (2) year term.

ARTICLE XIX.    AMENDMENTS

These Policies and Procedures may be amended by a majority vote at any regular meeting of the Representative Assembly provided that proposed amendments have been previously studied by the Executive Board and that copies have been sent to members of the AEA one (1) week in advance of the meeting. Except where otherwise noted, a majority is equal to fifty-one (51) percent of a quorum, as defined in Article VII, Section 4.

ARTICLE XX.    DISSOLUTION

A.    The AEA may be dissolved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and entitled to vote at any membership meting or special meeting called for that purpose.
B.    Upon dissolution, the Executive Board, after making provisions for the payment of all liabilities of the AEA, shall dispose of all assets of the AEA by distribution to such organization or organizations organized and operated for purposes comparable to the AEA