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ARTICLE I - Membership |
| Section 1. Classes |
| There will be three (3) classes of membership in the Association: Active, Representation-Fee, and Retired. |
| A. |
Active membership shall be open to any person included in the bargaining unit of the Association and who is engaged in or who is on a limited leave of absence from professional educational work or who is serving as an executive officer of the Association and is employed by the Denver Public Schools.
Active members shall hold or shall be eligible to hold a baccalaureate or higher degree or the regular teaching, vocational, or technical certificates required by their employment. Active membership is limited to persons who support the principals and goals of the Association and who maintain membership in the United Education Profession (UEP), Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA), Colorado Education Association (CEA), National Education Association (NEA), providing that such persons shall have no power in employing or dismissing teachers. |
| B. |
Representation-Fee membership shall be a category of membership open to those members of the bargaining unit employed by the Denver Public Schools paying to the Association the representation fee. Such members may not necessarily subscribe to the principles and goals of the Association. |
| C. |
Retired membership shall be open to any retired employee who was, prior to retirement, included in the bargaining unit of DCTA. Retired membership is limited to those persons who support the principals and goals of the Association. Effective September 1, 1986, retired members shall maintain membership in the UEP, DCTA, CEA, and NEA. Effective with the date of retirement any member on active status may be transferred to retired membership status under the conditions and procedures established by the DCTA Board of Directors. |
| Section 2. Basic Beliefs, Subscriptions |
| A. |
The Association shall meet the standards for affiliation as set forth in the Colorado Education Association and the National Education Association official governance documents |
| B. |
The Association will have no rule, procedure, or practice that permits discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, marital status, handicapped condition, national origin, or other specified human or civil rights as may be protected by legislature or judicial mandate. |
| C. |
The Association recognizes the preeminence of the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession. |
| D. |
The Association will not permit, by work or practice, any of the officers or agents advocating the overthrow of the constitutional government or engaging in any conflicting business or financial interest. |
| Section 3. Honorary Membership |
| The Board of Directors may grant honorary membership privileges. |
| Section 4. Obligations and Privileges of Active and Retired Members |
| A. |
Obligations |
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1. |
To support the purpose and programs of the Association. |
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2. |
To exemplify professional ethics set forth in the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession. |
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3. |
To maintain professional standards. |
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4. |
To conform to the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Standing Rules, and statements of policy of the Association. |
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5. |
To pay membership dues promptly. |
| B. |
Privileges |
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1. |
The right to vote on all matters presented to the membership except that retired members will not be entitled to vote on Agreement ratifications, concerted job actions, or other elections attendant thereto. |
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2. |
The right to be eligible to elective and appointed positions in the Association as provided in the Bylaws and Standing Rules. |
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3. |
The right to propose or review policies by initiative or referendums by petition of 10% of the current membership. |
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4. |
The right to receive publications and reports of the Association. |
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5. |
The right to all services provided by the Association for members. |
| Section 5. Obligations and Privileges of Representation-Fee Members |
| A. |
Obligations |
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1. |
To pay the Association representation fee. |
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2. |
To conform to the Articles of incorporation, Bylaws, and Standing Rules of the Association, when exercising privileges under B-1, 2, and 3 of the Bylaws Section 5. |
| B. |
Privileges |
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1. |
The right to vote on all matters presented to the membership. |
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2. |
The right to be eligible to elective and appointed positions in the Association. |
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3. |
The right to propose or review policies by the initiative or referendum by petition of 10% of the current membership. |
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4. |
The right to receive publications and reports of the Association. |
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5. |
The right to all services provided by the Association for members. |
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6. |
The right to change class of membership to active. |
| Section 6. Honorary Privileges |
| The directors at any meeting of the Board may extend the privilege of honorary life membership to persons who have rendered conspicuous services to the public schools of Denver. Such honorary life members shall be exempt from payment of dues. The Board of Directors may grant honorary one-year membership in the Denver Classroom Teachers Association to foreign exchange teachers. Honorary members shall have all the rights and privileges of active membership except those of voting and holding office. |
| Section 7. Membership Year |
| The membership year shall begin on September 1 and extend through August 31 of the following year. |
| Section 8. Dues |
| A. |
The dues for active members shall be 0.433% of the eighth step of the salary schedule for the BA. degree as of September 1 of the current DPS fiscal year and the application of such dues adjustment shall be effective on September 1 of each year. |
| B. |
Annual dues of retired members shall be established by the Board of Directors and shall be payable as determined by the Board of Directors. |
| Section 9. Expulsion, Suspension, and Reinstatement of Members |
| The Association shall guarantee that no member be censured, suspended, or expelled without due process. The proceedings for just cause provided that due process procedures are followed. Just cause shall exist for alleged violations of the code of ethics of the United Education Profession or for alleged failure to comply with the obligations set forth in Article I, Section 4A of these Bylaws. In the event such proceedings are invoked, the Association Central Grievance Board shall hold hearings and make recommendations, the Board of Directors may be appealed to the Representation Council. By majority vote, the Representative Council shall have the authority to reinstate a suspended or expelled member for provident cause. |
| Section 10. Multi Ethnic Guarantee |
| The Association shall guarantee that all governing bodies, commissions, and committees will have ethnic minority representation at least proportionate to the ethnic minority membership in the Association. This multi ethnic designation shall specifically include Black, Mexican-American (Chicano), and other Spanish speaking groups, Asian-American, and Native American. One (1) seat from each sector will be filled by multi ethnic candidates. |
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| ARTICLE II - Officers |
| Section 1. Officers |
| The officers of the Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, four (4) Directors elected from each sector area, and CEA Board members who shall serve as ex-officio voting members of the Board. One (1) seat from each sector will be filled by multi ethnic candidates. |
| A. |
All elections shall be open by nomination and secret ballot. |
| B. |
Directors representing the specified areas shall be elected by the constituent members in their area. |
| C. |
All terms are for two (2) years and no officer may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. |
| Section 2. Qualifications |
| A candidate for office shall be a current member of the United Education Profession. |
| Section 3. Selection and Terms of Office |
| A. |
President: The term of office of the President shall be for two (2) years beginning the first day following the last calendar day of the school year in which the election takes place. The election will be held on odd numbered years. If after any period of eleven (11) consecutive membership years a member of a multi ethnic group has not been served as President, the Association shall take such steps as may be legally permissible to elect a member of a multi ethnic group. |
| B. |
Vice President: The term of office of the Vice President shall be for two (2) years beginning the first day following the last calendar day of the school year in which the election takes place. The election will be held on odd numbered years. |
| C. |
Secretary: The term of office of the Secretary shall be for two (2) years. The term of office shall begin the first day following the last calendar day of the school year in which the election was held. The election will be held on even numbered years. |
| D. |
Treasurer: The term of office of the Treasurer shall be for two (2) years. The term of office shall begin the first day following the last calendar day of the school year in which the election was held. The election will be held on even numbered years. |
| E. |
The President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Corporation shall be elected by open nomination and secret ballot of the membership at large. The election shall be a majority vote of the members voting. The term of office shall be two (2) years following their election with a maximum eligibility of two (2) terms. |
| F. |
Succession procedures and filling vacancies shall occur as prescribed in the Standing Rules. |
| Section 4. Powers and Duties of the President |
| The President shall: |
| A. |
Be the chief executive officer of the corporation and its policy leader. |
| B. |
Represent the corporation as spokesperson on matters of policy: serve as chief contact with the media, or assign, at the President's discretion, responsibility for such representation to staff or other governance officials. |
| C. |
Prepare, with staff assistance, the agenda for the Board of Directors, Representative Council, and other governance meetings as may be necessary. |
| D. |
Appoint all chairpersons and members of committees with the advise and consent of the Board of Directors. Members from ethnic minorities shall comprise at least twenty-five (25) percent of the chairpersons. |
| E. |
Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees and other subsidiary groups authorized by the governing bodies. |
| F. |
Establish the annual charges for all committees and other authorized subsidiary groups with consent of the Board of Directors. |
| G. |
As needed, review Association policies and recommend changes and priorities to be considered by the Board of Directors. |
| H. |
Meet regularly with other officers of the Association, with the Executive UniServ Director, and with the UniServ Field Staff members. |
| I. |
Delegate duties to the officers and Executive Director, and through the Executive Director, to the staff. |
| J. |
Preside at meetings of the Board of Directors, Representative Council, and other appropriate business meetings of the corporation. |
| K. |
Perform the duties prescribed by the Bylaws and Standing Rules and such other duties as are customarily assumed by the Chief Executive Officer of a corporation. |
| Section 5. Powers and Duties of the Vice President. |
| In the case of the absence or disability of the President, the Vice President shall act in the President's place and with the President's authority. The Vice President shall also serve as the chairperson of the membership team, coordinate membership activities and perform such additional appropriate duties as may be ordered by the President. |
| Section 6. Powers and Duties of the Secretary. |
| he Secretary will be responsible for keeping accurate minutes of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Representative Council, and Professional Council. The Secretary shall perform such other appropriate duties as may be ordered by the President. |
| Section 7. Powers and Duties of the Treasurer. |
| The Treasurer shall exercise supervision of the funds of the Association and shall perform such other appropriate duties as may be ordered by the President. The Treasurer shall furnish a bond in the amount designated by the Board with costs paid by the Association. |
| Section 8. Recall. |
| Any elected executive officer of the Association who is charges with malfeasance or nonfeasance of duty will be subject to as ballot recall when a petition has been signed by 30% of the qualified voters and presented to the Board of Directors. This ballot will be prepared by the Election Committee and all qualified voters shall be given the opportunity to vote. A two-thirds vote (of those voting) favoring the recall of the elected officers will result in the officer's removal from office. Provisions for counting the ballots, certifying, announcing, recording, and carrying out the results shall be made by the Election Committee, except as may be established in the Standing Rules. |
| Section 9. CEA - NEA Delegates |
| A. |
The DCTA may be represented each year at the delegate assembly of the CEA and the Representative Assembly of the NEA by the number of delegates to which it is entitled by its active membership in the UEP. Allocation of all delegate seats will be determined by the CEA and NEA, respectively, using the proportional representation formula found in the documents of authority. Elections to delegate positions shall be conducted as provided in the DCTA Bylaws and Standing Rules. |
| B. |
The election to the offices of DCTA President, Vice President, Secretary, and treasurer shall constitute election as funded delegates to both the CEA Delegate Assembly and the NEA Representative Assembly and succession to the office shall constitute eligibility as a funded delegate in accordance with the Standing Rules. |
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| ARTICLE III - Executive Committee |
| Section 1. Composition |
| The Executive Committee of the Association shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two (2) members of the DCTA Board of Directors who shall be elected by the Board during June of each year. Such Board members will be elected to serve a one (1) year term. |
| Section 2. Terms |
| If after any period of eleven (11) consecutive membership years a member of an ethnic minoryt group has not served as Executive Officer, the Association shall take such steps as may be legally permisable to elect a member of an ethnic minority group. |
| Section 3. Powers and Duties |
| The Executive Committee shall represent and shall act for and on behalf of the Board of Directors on all maters affecting the general policies and interest of the Association between meetings of the Board of Directors and as is provided in Rule 1(a) of the Standing Riles except in such instances when a decision will require a vote of the membership. |
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| ARTICLE IV - Board of Directors |
| Article IV will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE V - Professional Staff |
| Article V will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE VI - Representative Council |
| Article VI will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE VII - Association Representatives |
| Article VII will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE VIII - Associate Sector Directors |
| Article VIII will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE IX - Task Forces and Committees |
| Article IX will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE X - Finance |
| Article X will be available in the near future. |
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| ARTICLE XI - Amendments |
| Section 1. Amendments to the Bylaws. |
| Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by the Representative Council, the Board of Directors and the Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee. Individual members shall have the power to propose amendments by submitting a petition signed by 10% of the membership. All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Council for approval. Upon approval of the majority of the Council present, the proposed amendement(s) shall be forwarded to the Executive UniServ Director who shall then submit proposed amendment(s) to a vote of the members within 30 days from the date of the filing. Unless specified otherwise, amendments shall become valid when ratified by a majority of the members voting under the procedures provided in the Standing Rules. |
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| ARTICLE XII - Standing Rules and Parliamentary Procedures |
| Section 1. Authorization of Standing Rules |
| Supplementary rules and regulations and be adopted by the Representative Council and shall be designated as Standing Rules. |
| Section 2. Parliamentary Procedures. |
| Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Association in all points for which provision has not been made in these Bylaws and Standing Rules. The Executive Committee will, annually, designate a parliamentarian. |
| Section 3. Quorum. |
A quorum shall exist when a majority of those eligible to vote are present. |
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