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CONSTITUTION
of the
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COLDWATER
EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION |
Adopted: February 23, 1970
Implemented: May 25, 1970
Amended: January 17, 1971
Amended: April 16, 1973
Amended: May 14, 1974
Amended: May 28, 1975
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Amended: May 31, 1977
Amended: November 13, 1977
Amended: May 13, 1978
Amended: March 22, 1990
Amended: April 16, 2001
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O R G A N I Z A T I O N
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REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLICY MAKING BODY
President (tie-breaking votes only)
Elementary Vice President
Secondary Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Region IV Delegates
Delegate to the Representative Assembly
Past President
Executive Secretary—when one exists (non-voting member)
Association Representatives (one representative per each 8
members or major portion thereof elected at the building level)
SCMEA Delegates
ARTICLE I—NAME
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The name of this association shall be the Coldwater Education Association.
ARTICLE II—PURPOSES
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Section 1 – To work for the welfare of school children, the advancement of education, and the improvement of the instructional opportunities for all.
Section 2 – To develop and promote the adoption of such ethical practices, personnel policies, and standards of preparation and participation as mark a profession.
Section 3 – To unify and strengthen the teaching profession and to secure and maintain the salaries, retirement, tenure, professional and sick leave, and other working conditions necessary to support teaching as a profession.
Section 4 – To enable members to speak with a common voice on matter pertaining to the teaching profession and to present their individual and common interests before the Board of Education and other legal authorities.
Section 5 – To hold property and funds and to employ a staff for the attainment of these purposes.
ARTICLE III—MEMBERSHIP
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Section 1 – Active Members
a. Active membership in the Association shall be open to all certified teaching personnel employed in the schools of Coldwater Community Schools who agree to abide by the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession
b. The first restriction in the preceding paragraph shall not affect professional personnel who join before September 1, 1970.
c. Active membership shall be continuous until the member leaves the school system, resigns from the Association, or fails to pay membership dues.
d. Active members of the Association shall also be members of the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association
e. The Coldwater Education Association has the same membership and fiscal year as that of the MEA (September 1 – August 31).
f. No member of the Coldwater Education Association may be censored, suspended, or expelled without a due process hearing, which shall include appropriate appellate procedures.
Section 2 – Associate Members
a. Persons employed in the schools of Coldwater who are not eligible to become active members may upon payment of dues enroll as Associate Members with all the rights and responsibilities of active members except the right to vote, to hold office, or to represent the Association.
b. Active members who retire with 15 years of professional membership may continue as Associate Members for life, paying such annual dues as the Representative Council may determine.
Section 3 – Revocation of Membership
According to procedures adopted by the Representative Council, the Council may suspend from membership or expel any member who shall have violated the ethics of the education profession; may cancel the membership of any member convicted in a court learned in the law of a crime involving moral turpitude; and may reinstate a member who has previously been suspended or expelled from the Association.
ARTICLE IV—OFFICERS
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The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice President for Elementary Affairs, a Vice President for Secondary Affairs, the immediate Past President, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
ARTICLE V—THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
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Section 1 – The Representative Council shall consist of the Association Representatives (one representative per eight members of major portion thereof from each school faculty), the President, the Elementary Vice President, the Secondary Vice President, the immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the delegates to the Region IV-C Council and the delegate to the Representative Assembly of the MEA. It shall be the executive and policy making authority of the Association.
Section 2 – The Representative Council shall have the necessary powers except where restricted in other articles, to manage the affairs of the Association, including the power to employ staff.
Section 3 – Whenever a majority of the Representative Council shall agree that an officer has been grossly negligent of the duties defined in the Bylaws or is incapacitated, they shall declare the office vacant. The Representative Council shall immediately elect a replacement to fill the unexpired term.
Section 4 – The Representative Council shall set the dues for the Association and approve the budget. The Representative Council shall, between the election of a new President and his/or her assumption of office, set the rate of compensation, if any, for him/or her. The immediate Past President may be consulted as to what the sum, if any, shall be. No action shall be required of the general membership unless a petition signed by 10% of the active membership demanding same shall be presented to the CEA secretary within 60 days following the Representative Council’s action setting such compensation. The salary shall be paid through the Michigan Education Association in bimonthly payments.
Section 5 – The voting privilege shall be extended only to the elected members of the Representative Council. The President may vote only in case of a tie vote.
Section 6 – The President shall have the power to veto any measure passed by the Representative Council. The veto must be immediate.
Section 7 – The Representative Council may overrule a veto by the President of the Association by a majority vote of the Representative Council. The overruling cannot be voted upon in the same meeting that saw the veto.
Section 8 – Any member of the Association who is not a member of the Representative Council may attend its meetings and shall sit apart from the voting body, but may receive permission to speak.
ARTICLE VI—AFFILIATION
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The Association shall affiliate with the National Education Association under its rules and the Michigan Education Association under its rules.
ARTICLE VII—DIRECT DEMOCRACY
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Section 1 – Recall
a. The teachers reserve the power to remove any elected official of the Coldwater Education Association. Upon petition of teachers equal in number to 25% of the number of active membership in the Coldwater Education Association, who are eligible to vote for the officer sought to be removed, an election shall be held within 30 days of receipt of petitions by the executive secretary if one exists, or the secretary of the Association. A two-thirds vote shall be necessary to remove the elected official from office. A new election shall be held within thirty (30) days to fill the vacancy.
Section 2 – Initiative
a. The teachers reserve the power to propose and enact laws. To invoke the initiative, a petition by 20% of the active membership shall be required.
b. A law proposed by initiative petition shall be enacted or rejected by the Representative Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
c. If the proposed law is not enacted by the Representative Council, the proposed law shall be submitted to the active membership within thirty (30) days for approval or rejection.
Section 3 – Referendum
a. The teachers reserve the power to approve or reject laws enacted by the Representative Council through referendum.
b. To invoke referendum, a petition by 10% of the active membership shall be required. No law to which referendum has been invoked shall be effective thereafter unless approved by a majority vote of the active membership present.
c. Referendum must be invoked within fifteen (15) days of passage of the law.
ARTICLE VIII—AMENDMENTS
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Section 1 – The Representative Council may propose amendments to this constitution by a two-thirds majority of those voting at any regular meeting provided that amendments have been introduced at the preceding regular meeting of the Representative Council and that copies of the proposed amendments have been immediately distributed to members of the Council for faculty discussion.
Section 2 – Amendments may be proposed by petition of 20% of the active membership.
Section 3 – All proposed amendments must be adopted by a two-thirds vote of those present at a General Membership meeting. Proposed amendments and the date, time, and place of the General Membership meeting must be distributed to each active member on week in advance of the General Membership meeting.
Section 4 – Adopted amendments to the constitution shall become effective thirty (30) days from the date of the membership meeting where approved.