ATPE News

Summer 2016

ATPE News is the official publication of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, the largest educator association in Texas. The magazine addresses the most important issues affecting public education in the state. Learn more at ATPE.org.

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the event the number of Professional Member Delegates attending from a local unit is less than the number allotted. (g) Notwithstanding (a) through (f ) above, each local unit shall be allowed to select a minimum of one (1) Professional Member Delegate, one (1) Administrator Member Delegate, one (1) Associate Member Delegate, one (1) Retired Member Delegate, and one (1) Student Teacher/College Student Member Delegate. *Proviso: If adopted, the implementation of an administrator member category will be efective beginning with the 2017- 18 ATPE membership year. Submitted by: ATPE Board of Directors, which recommends adoption Bylaws Committee Recommends Adoption Rationale: This proposed bylaws amendment, a companion to proposed amendments 2-6, would establish House of Delegates voting rights for administrator members by setting the proportional representation number for administrator members at 25:1, the same as for professional, associate, student teacher/college student, and retired members. Fiscal Impact: If adopted by the HOD, granting administrator members delegate status would have no fscal impact independent of proposed amendment 2. Proposed Amendment 7 Amend to Read: Article III: Membership Section 6: Voting Rights A Professional, Administrator, Associate, Student Teacher, College Student, or Retired member with ATPE shall be entitled to vote when a matter is submitted to such vote. The only voting rights accorded to the membership of ATPE shall be to participate in the election of directors and regional ofcers through their respective regional organizations, to participate in the election of state ofcers, and to participate in referendums as outlined in Article XVI, Section 3. No proxy voting shall be recognized. Submitted by: ATPE Board of Directors, which recommends adoption Bylaws Committee Unanimously Recommends Adoption Rationale: The Board of Directors (BOD) is proposing that ATPE amend the process for electing state ofcers to allow all members who are accorded voting rights by the association to have the opportunity to vote in state ofcer elections via a one-member, one-vote online election. Currently ATPE's state ofcers are elected by a representative body at the annual House of Delegates meeting, a meeting that in recent years has included between 700-800 voting delegates. Conducting the annual state ofcer election on one day, and within a short two- to three-hour timeframe, disenfranchises those active members who would like to attend summit and vote but are unable to do so due to family or work commitments, or who are not invited by their local unit president to attend summit as a delegate. The BOD believes that all ATPE members—currently 103,000 strong—should have a voice when determining which members should lead this association as a state ofcer, and proposed amendments 7-10 would be a true application of ATPE's member-owned, member-governed tenet because all ATPE members other than public members would be empowered with a vote and a voice. Note: Proposed bylaws amendments 2-6, if adopted, would create an administrator member category for ATPE. Per the recommendation of ATPE's parliamentarian, reference to an administrator member category is included in this proposed amendment to ensure proper notice of the proposed change per the bylaws amendment notifcation deadline outlined in the ATPE State Bylaws. If proposed amendments 2-6 are not adopted by the House of Delegates, the reference to administrator member will be deleted from this proposed amendment. Fiscal Impact: The application of a one-member, one-vote online election for state ofcers is projected to cost between $35,000 to $50,000 per year (less than 50 cents per potential voter), depending on variables such as the selection of a vendor and whether or not a runof election is required. The projected costs include: professional consultation support; the cost of a general election, and, if necessary, a runof election; the production of high-quality videos of each candidate; and funds that would allow each candidate (or a surrogate) to attend region and local unit meetings to promote their candidacy. Proposed Amendment 8 Amend to Read: Article IV: Ofcers Section 3: Election The President shall automatically succeed to the ofce of Immediate Past President. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Nomination/Election Committee to receive nominations of candidates for each ofce other than that of Immediate Past President. In the event that only one nominee can be secured for an ofce, the chairman of the Nomination/Election Committee will present a letter to the Board of Directors concerning the eforts of the committee to secure a second nominee. This letter is to be signed by all members of the Nomination/Election Committee. Only nominations received in the state ofce by the ffteenth (15th) day of March preceding the annual meeting of the House of Delegates at which the election shall be held shall be included by the Nomination/ Election Committee on the list of nominated candidates. Additionally, nominations may be submitted from the foor of the House of Delegates. Forty-fve (45) days notice of the Nomination/Election committee list of nominated candidates shall be given to the members in accordance with Article IX, Section 4. The ofcers of the Association shall be elected by a majority vote of the delegates members qualifed and participating in the annual one-member, one-vote ofcer election. present and voting during the regular annual meeting of the House of Delegates. Each ofcer shall be elected for a one-year (1) term of ofce, and shall hold ofce until his successor has been duly elected or has qualifed. Any Professional, Administrator, Associate or Retired member of ATPE may hold an ofce. Submitted by: ATPE Board of Directors, which recommends adoption Bylaws Committee Unanimously Recommends Adoption Rationale: This proposed amendment, a companion to proposed amendments 7-10, would clarify that ATPE's state ofcer elections would not be conducted at the annual House of Delegates meeting. Additionally, this amendment would clarify that a member wishing to run for state ofce could not do so as a foor candidate, though the one-member, one-vote electronic election process would allow a member to initiate a write-in campaign for state ofce. Note: Proposed bylaws amendments 2-6, if adopted, would create an administrator member category for ATPE. Per the recommendation of ATPE's parliamentarian, reference to an administrator member category is included in this proposed amendment to ensure proper notice of the proposed change per the bylaws amendment notifcation deadline outlined in the ATPE State Bylaws. If proposed amendments 2-6 are not adopted by the HOD, the reference to administrator member will be deleted from this proposed amendment. Fiscal Impact: No fscal impact is anticipated by the passage of this specifc amendment. If proposed amendment 7 is adopted, the application of a one-member, one-vote online election for state ofcers is projected to cost between $35,000 to $50,000 per year (less than 50 cents per potential voter), 30 | atpe.org atpe news AMENDMENTS 7-10 QUICK LOOK: ATPE was founded on the member-owned and member-governed philosophy. AMENDMENT 7 allows every eligible ATPE member to vote in the annual state ofcer elections. AMENDMENTS 8-10 clarify that state ofcer elections will be held using a secure, online voting process, and removes elections from the Nominations/ Election Committee's and HOD's list of required duties.

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