CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
OF THE
ARKANSAS ASSOCIATION OF MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION
(REVISED JULY 1998)
Constitution
Article I - Name
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Education(AAMLE).
Section 2. The purpose of the AAMLE shall be the general improvement of education for middle level students(ages 10-15)in the state of Arkansas. Specifically, the Association shall
A. Facilitate continuing curriculum improvement, staff development, school planning and other phases of middle level education;
B. Serve as a clearinghouse for exchange of ideas, materials and personnel needed for middle level development;
C. Help secure and maintain support of agencies and groups in the state interested in educational improvement for middle level schools;
D. Represent the middle level schools in professional and public discussions of educational programs and problems;
E. Assist in developing plans for evaluation of middle level schools.
Article II - Membership
Membership in the AAMLE shall be open to all educators, parents and concerned citizens who are interested in and enthusiastic about the promotion of those ideas pertaining to middle level students. Memberships shall be one year in length and based on the original membership application beginning with 1996-97. The renewal will be made during the month of the original application.
Article III - Administration
The administration shall consist of the Executive Council, the Board of Directors, the Executive Director and the Associate Executive Director. All members of the Board of Directors, with the exception of the Associate Executive Director, shall have voting privileges. The Associate Executive Director shall vote only in the absence of the Executive Director.
Section 1. The Board of Directors of the Association shall include the president, immediate past president, president-elect, secretary, bookkeeper/treasurer, five regional coordinators, an Arkansas Department of Education Representative, newsletter editor, public relations coordinator, University of Arkansas Center for Middle Level Education representative, executive director, and associate executive director.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall 1)approve the policies of the Association, 2)approve the annual budget, and 3)act upon the recommendations and appointments of the Executive Council.
Section 3. The Executive Council shall consist of the president, president-elect, past president, secretary, Executive Director(chairperson), Associate Executive Director, bookkeeper/treasurer, and one regional coordinator appointed by the president.
Section 4. The Executive Council shall 1)formulate and recommend policies for the Association, 2)recommend the annual budget, 3)establish committees 4)serve as custodian of the property of the Association, and 5)recommend the Executive Director/Associate Executive Director.
Section 5. The Executive Director is responsible to the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall abide by the job description determined and approved by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall have all rights and privileges of other members of the Board of directors. The Associate Director shall serve in the absence of the Executive Director.
Article IV - Meetings
Section 1. The Association shall hold an annual conference at a time and place to be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. An official business meeting shall be held during the annual conference. The purpose of the meeting shall be 1)adopt resolutions, 2)hear concerns of the membership, individuals or groups, and 3)act upon any business referred by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Other meetings shall be held during the fiscal year, as needed, to conduct the business of the Association.
Article V - Amendments
This constitution may be amended upon approval by 1)a majority of the Board of Directors and 2)by two-thirds of the members present at the annual business meeting.
Article VI - By - Laws
Details of the activities of the Association shall be regulated by the By-Laws Article
Article VII - Assets on Liquidation
No part of the net income, revenue or grants of the Association shall inure to benefit of any member, officer or private individual(except in payment for requested services rendered in connection with Association purposes). In the event of dissolution or liquidation, the assets of the Association, after payment of debts and obligations, shall be transferred to an organization with federal tax exemption for charitable and education purposes similar to those of the Association. The exempt organization shall be designated by the final Executive Board of the Association.
BY - LAWS
Article I - Membership Dues
Section 1. Membership in the AAMLE shall be open to all educators, parents and concerned citizens who are interested in and enthusiastic about the promotion of those ideas pertaining to middle level students.
Section 2. Dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Article II - Expenditures
The funds of the Association shall be disbursed in accordance with the annual budget as approved by the Executive Council and adopted by the Board of Directors. The Executive Council shall have the power to transfer unused balances as needed.
Article III. - Association Officers
Section 1. Officers. The officers of the Association shall consist of president, president-elect, secretary, past-president.
Section 2. Duties. The duties of the officers of the Association shall be as follows:
A. President. The president shall preside over the meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors, appoint committees and perform other duties as required to ensure the interests of the Association are met. Term - One year
B. President-Elect. The president-elect shall preside in the absence of the president, assist regional coordinators and serve as staff development coordinator and assume the duties of the president in case a vacancy occurs in that office. Term - One year
C. Secretary. The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Association and Executive Board, assist the administration in the handling of Association communications. Term - One Year
E. Past President. The past president shall preside over the conference committee and assist the program chairperson in the planning of the annual conference.
Term - One Year
Section 3. Eligibility. All officers shall be active members of the Association at the time of their election and installation. The membership may be an individual or an institutional. Regional representatives must live within their region.
Section 4. Election and term of office. The term of offices shall be from July 1 to June 30 of each year or as described. Elections shall be held no later than March 15.
Section 5. Vacancies. Should an office become vacant because of resignation, neglect of duty, unavailability or other causes, the Executive council shall have the authority to fill the vacancy either temporarily or until the end of the term.
Article IV. Regional Representatives
Section 1. Regional Representatives. The state will be divided into 5 regions, as follows:
Northwest, Southwest, Central, Northeast, and Southeast.
Each region will consist of educational service cooperatives as follows:
Northwest - Northwest Education Service Cooperative, Ozarks Unlimited Resources Cooperative, Western Educational Cooperative.
Southwest - Dequeen - Mena Educational Cooperative, Southwest Educational Cooperative, Dawson Educational Cooperative, and South Central Educational Cooperative
Central - Arch Ford Educational Cooperative, and school districts in Pulaski County.
Northeast - Northcentral Educational Cooperative, Northeast Educational Cooperative, Crowley’s Ridge Educational Cooperative, and Wilbur Mills Educational Cooperative
Southeast - Great Rivers Educational Cooperative, Southeast Educational Cooperative, and Arkansas River Educational Cooperative.
Section 2. Representatives. Each region will have four elected representatives.
Teacher Representative. The teacher representative shall serve as a representative for the middle level teachers in his/her region.
Administrator Representative. The administrator representative shall serve as a representative for the middle level administrators in his/her region.
University/College or Educational Cooperative Representative. The university/college or educational cooperative representative shall serve to provide a voice for concerns of the higher education institutions and/or the Educational Service Cooperatives in the region.
Representative at-large. The representative at-large can be any person that will represent the concerns of middle level education in the region.
Section 3. Board of directors representation. Each region will be represented on the Board of directors. The representatives of each region will select a coordinator who will serve on the Board of directors.
Section 4. Election. Regional representatives will be elected as follows:
Teacher - Term - Two years (odd years)
Administrator - Term - Two years (odd years)
University/College or Educational Cooperative Term - Two Year (even years)
Representative at-large
Term - Two Year (even years)
Section 5. Vacancies. Should a representative position become vacant because of resignation, neglect of duty, unavailability, or other causes, the Executive Council shall have the authority to fill the vacancy either temporarily or until the end of the term.
ARTICLE V - COMMITTEES
Section 1. Committees. Committees shall be appointed as needed to attend to the business of the association.
Section 2. Standing Committees. There shall be four standing committees to assist in the annual business of the association. These committees shall be called the Conference Committee, the Program Committee, the Nomination/Election Committee, and the Membership Committee.
A. Conference Committee. The conference committee shall be responsible for the organization and supervision of the annual conference. The past-president shall serve as the chairperson of the committee. The following subcommittees shall be a part of the conference committee:
-Hospitality-Publicity-Audiovisual-
-Registration-Exhibits-Facility
Subcommittee members shall consist of active members of the association and appointed by the president.
B. Program Committee. The program committee shall be chaired by the program chairperson who will be appointed by the president. It shall consist of the chairperson, the past- president, treasurer, and one member at-large appointed by the president.
C. Nomination/Election Committee. The nomination/election committee shall be chaired by the president who shall appoint the members of the committee from the Board of directors. The committee shall seek candidates for the elective positions and present a recommended slate of officer candidates to the Board of directors for presentation to the membership.
D. Membership Committee. The membership committee shall be responsible for the organization of the annual membership drive. The executive director shall appoint the members of the committee and serve as chairperson.
ARTICLE V - Other Board Members
Section 1. Appointed Board Members. The members of the Board of Directors appointed shall be an Arkansas Department of Education representative, University of Arkansas Center for Middle Level Education representative, newsletter editor, and public relations coordinator.
Section 2. Duties. The duties and terms of appointment shall be as follows.
A. Bookkeeper/Treasurer. The bookkeeper/treasurer shall receive all dues and other monies, make disbursements upon order of the Association, keep an accurate account of all monies received and expended, and, with the cooperation of the Executive Council, provide for the safekeeping of all Association funds. The bookkeeper/treasurer shall be recommended by the Executive Director and approved by the Board of Directors.
Term - Determined by the Board of Directors
B. Arkansas Department of Education Representative. The Arkansas Department of Education Representative shall serve as a liaison within the Arkansas Department of Education. He/she shall keep the association informed of the programs, policies and regulations that affect the middle level schools in the state. The Representative shall be recommended by the Executive Director and approved by the Board of Directors. Term - Two Years
C. University of Arkansas Center for Middle Level Education. A representative from the Center for Middle Level Education at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville shall serve on the Board of Directors. The representative shall be appointed by the Director of the Center. Term - One Year
D. Newsletter Editor. The newsletter editor shall be appointed by the Executive Director and approved by the Board of Directors. The newsletter editor is to compile information pertaining to middle level practices and concerns in a newsletter to be published three times each year. The Board of Directors will evaluate the performance of the newsletter editor annually.
Term - Determined by the Board of Directors
E. Public Relations Coordinator. The public relations coordinator will coordinate the promotion of the interests of the Association through the use of media and technology. He/she shall oversee the development and updating of the Association homepage. The public relations coordinator will organize the activities for the National Middle School Association Month of the Young Adolescent. Term - Determined by Board of Directors
H. Journal Editor. The journal editor shall be recommended by the Executive Director and approved by the Board of Directors.
Term - determined by the Board of Directors
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