Illinois Association of Teachers of English » CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS (Clean Final Draft for Vote on October 21, 2022)

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS (Clean Final Draft for Vote on October 21, 2022)

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ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

(As amended at the October 11, 2019 General Membership Meeting)

Clean Copy Incorporating Proposed Changes

WITH PROPOSED CHANGES APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 2021 AND SEPTEMBER 2022

RECOMMENDED FOR MEMBERSHIP APPROVAL OCTOBER 2022

CONSTITUTION
(no proposed changes)

ARTICLE I NAME AND PURPOSE

SECTION 1 The name of this organization shall be the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, hereinafter referred to as IATE or the Association.

SECTION 2 The purpose of this Association is to improve the quality of instruction in English at all educational levels; to encourage research, experimentation, and investigation in the teaching of English; to facilitate professional cooperation of the members; to hold public discussions and programs; to sponsor the publication of desirable articles and reports; and to integrate the efforts of all those who are concerned with the improvement of instruction in English

SECTION 3 In order to best promote its goals, IATE will operate under the sponsorship of an Illinois institution of higher learning according to mutually acceptable operational guidelines.

ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1 Active members—Any person interested in the teaching of English in the schools and colleges of Illinois may become a member in good standing upon payment of the requisite membership dues.

SECTION 2 Membership in IATE is for one year commencing on the date that the application and appropriate dues payment are received.  Only current members may vote in the general business meeting of the annual fall conference.

SECTION 3 Honorary members—considering nominations from the membership of IATE, the Honorary Awards Committee may, with the approval of the officers and Executive Secretary, from time to time select a person worthy to receive an Honorary Life Membership in IATE. In extraordinary circumstances, additional Honorary Life Memberships may be awarded with the permission of the Executive Council.

ARTICLE III OFFICERS

SECTION 1 The offices of the Association shall be President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

SECTION 2 The Executive Secretary, the Officers, the District Leaders, the Committee Chairs and the Editors of the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN and the IATE NEWSLETTER must be members of IATE and of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

SECTION 3 The Executive Council shall be composed of the Executive Secretary, the Officers, the Chairs of all Standing Committees, the Editor of the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN, the Editor of the IATE NEWSLETTER, the Webmaster, the District Leaders, and the IATE representatives to other organizations, and the past Presidents of the three preceding years. (A) All shall be regarded as voting members of the Executive Council. (B) Each IATE district may have only one vote in the Executive Council, even if there is more than one District Leader.

SECTION 4 Eligibility: (A) To be eligible for office, an individual must have been a member for at least five years preceding the year in which nominated. (B) The Nominating Committee shall select as the nominee for President either the First Vice President or the Second Vice President. If neither of these will accept, the nomination shall be made from among the members of the Executive Council. (C) If the Nominating Committee, after applying the procedures of clause (B) for the office of President, is unable to present a nominee for one or more offices, the Executive Council may waive the eligibility requirement of five years of membership in order to permit the nomination of an otherwise eligible IATE member. This option in intended to be a measure of last resort and should not become a regular practice.

SECTION 5 Nominating Committee: The chair of the Nominating Committee will be the immediate past president. Four additional members will serve two-year terms and should represent the south, central, and northern parts of the state. At least two of the members should be District Leaders. Each new chair will appoint two new members to the committee.

SECTION 6 Nominating Process: The chair of the Nominating Committee will send written notices to all members of the Executive Council requesting nominations for the Second Vice President and any other vacant offices. A call for nominations will also be distributed to members. To be eligible, each nominee must submit a vita to the committee. The committee shall submit one nominee for each office for the approval of the Executive Council by a majority vote. A copy of the vita of each nominated candidate will be sent to the Executive Council members prior to the final vote at the spring meeting

SECTION 7 A list of the nominees for office, prepared by the Nominating Committee, shall be submitted for election by members in attendance at the general business meeting of the Annual Fall Conference. At least one nominee for each office shall have been approved by the Executive Council. Additional nominations shall be made by presentation of a signed petition signed by at least twenty-five members of IATE at the general business meeting of the Annual Fall Conference. Should nominations be made by petition, a vote will be taken by written ballot.

SECTION 8 If an office becomes vacant during the year, the President may appoint an eligible member to serve until the next election.

SECTION 9 District Leaders and chairs of Standing Committees should each appoint an alternate with full rights and responsibilities to represent them when they are unable to attend the fall or spring meetings of the Executive Council. In the event a District Leader or Chair of a Standing Committee is unable to attend or have an alternate or co-leader attend Executive Council meetings, he/she should send a written report.  A District with more than one District Leader will be considered represented at an Executive Council meeting if at least one District Leader or an alternate is present.

ARTICLE IV COMMUNICATIONS

SECTION 1 All official Executive Council business, including voting on motions, nominations, and other Executive Committee business, may be conducted at Executive Council meetings or by electronic means.

ARTICLE V MEETINGS

SECTION 1 There shall be a general business meeting of the entire organization during the Annual Fall Conference.

SECTION 2 The Executive Council shall meet in the spring to make plans for the Annual Fall Conference and shall also meet preceding the general business meeting in the fall.

SECTION 3 Additional meetings of the Executive Council may be called by the President or by any other three members of the Executive Council.

ARTICLE VI OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS

The official publications of the Association shall be the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN and the IATE NEWSLETTER, to be published as authorized by the Executive Council or as finances permit.

ARTICLE VII FISCAL MATTERS

SECTION 1 With the approval of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer shall engage the services of a professional auditing/accounting firm that shall audit the Association’ financial records at the end of each fiscal year and shall present a written report of the results of that audit and any recommendations growing out of the audit.   This firm shall also prepare the required state and federal tax forms.

ARTICLE VIII PERMITTED ACTIVITIES

SECTION 1 The Association is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distribution to organizations that qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

SECTION 2 No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in section 1 hereof and in Article I hereof.

SECTION 3 No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

SECTION 4 Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

SECTION 5 Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the country in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

ARTICLE IX INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR

SECTION 1 This Association shall operate in accordance with the current version of the NCTE Policy on Involvement of People of Color, which follows, insofar as it applies to this Association.  Any changes made to this statement by NCTE automatically become part of this Constitution without having to undergo the amendment process.

NCTE Policy on Involvement of People of Color
(As approved by the NCTE Executive Committee on August 18, 2016)

It is the policy of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) that it embraces diversity and demonstrates sensitivity to the concerns of people of color and they be represented on Council sponsored programs, and that a similar policy be urged on affiliated organizations (conferences, assemblies, and affiliates).  People of color refers to historically underrepresented groups – African Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Latinos.  To this end, NCTE expresses a desire and commitment to embrace diversity and:

  • to include people of color on appointed commissions, boards, committees, task forces, and other
    official groups;
  • to include people of color among the leadership of the above groups;
  • to include people of color among the nominees presented by each nominating committee;
  • to include in NCE conventions and workshop sessions dealing with interests of people of color and
    using as leaders or consultants practicing teachers of color from the levels of instruction concerned;
  • to include people of color in verbal and visual materials intended to represent or describe NCTE; and
  • to include people of color in any recruiting efforts.

In order to monitor the effecting of this policy, the Advisory Committee of People of Color will be maintained until such time as deemed unnecessary by the Board of Directors.

The intent of this policy should not be construed to impose any particular requirements on NCTE or to mean every subcommittee within a commission, board, committee, task force, or other official group.

  • a leadership database, including people of color, will be available as a reference for each NCTE
    Nominating Committee for the selection of candidates for offices.

ARTICLE X AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION AND BY–LAWS

Proposed changes to the Constitutional and Bylaws of the Association must first be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Council.  The proposed changes will then be distributed to the membership at least two weeks prior to the general business meeting at which they will be voted on. The Constitution and/or Bylaws may then be amended at any general business meeting of the membership by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting.


BYLAWS

ARTICLE I DUES AND THEIR USE

SECTION 1 The Executive Council shall be permitted to fix the annual dues at its spring meeting.

SECTION 2 Dues shall be used for (a) the publication of the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN and the IATE NEWSLETTER, (b) activities of the Districts of IATE,  (c) expenditures of the Annual Fall Conference and the Executive Council’s spring meeting, (d) business of the Executive council, and (e) research.

ARTICLE II DUTIES OF THE ELECTED OFFICERS

SECTION 1 The duties of the President shall be
(a) to call and preside at the general business meeting and the fall and spring Executive Council meetings;
(b) to appoint the Webmaster and Standing and Special Committee Chairs, who would make their respective committee appointments with final presidential approval, a Nominating Committee, and a Parliamentarian, all subject to the approval of the Executive council;
(c) to fill by appointment all vacancies in office;
(d) to serve as ex-officio member of all committees except the Nomination Committee;
(e) to direct IATE activities in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

SECTION 2 The duties of the First Vice President shall be
(a) to approve the district selection of District Leaders or to appoint District Leaders when they are not specified by the district organizations; (b) to serve ex officio as co-chair of the Membership Committee; and (c) to assume the presidential responsibility and authority in the event that the President resigns or is temporarily unable to perform the duties of the President.

SECTION 3 The duties of the Second Vice President shall be
(a) to serve as Chair for the Annual Fall Conference in collaboration with the Treasurer;
(b) to choose members of the Program Committee with the assistance of the President;
(c) to appoint a Committee on Local Arrangements for the Annual Fall Conference.

SECTION 4 The duties of the Secretary shall be
(a) to keep complete minutes of each business meeting;
(b) to send minutes of all business meetings to Executive Council members.
(c) to assume the duties and responsibilities of the Executive Secretary in the event that the Executive Secretary resigns or is temporarily unable to perform those duties and responsibilities.

SECTION 5 The duties of the Treasurer shall be
(a) to make all disbursements by check;
(b) to keep an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures, and to provide a Treasurer’s report to the Association at the general business meeting;
(c) in collaboration with the Webmaster, to keep an accurate list of the current membership.
(d) with the approval of the Executive Committee, to initiate and oversee the audit procedure described in Article VII of the Constitution and to surrender the books for audit.

ARTICLE III DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

SECTION 1. The duties of the Executive Secretary shall be set forth in a separate document approved by the host institution, the Executive Secretary, and the IATE Executive Council.

SECTION 2.  This approved document shall be appended to the IATE Constitution and Bylaws for reference as an appendix.  It shall not be considered a part of the Bylaws and therefore shall not be subject to the revision process described in the IATE Constitution.  Any changes made to the document by the authorized parties shall be added to the Bylaws appendix with no further IATE approval needed.

ARTICLE IV DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The duties of the Executive Council shall be the following:

  1. To fix the annual dues at the spring meeting
  2. To determine the number and boundaries of the IATE districts.
  3. To authorize publication of the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN and the IATE NEWSLETTER.
  4. To approve the annual budget.
  5. To approve all presidential appointments.
  6. To appoint the Executive Secretary from a list of no less than two nominees recommended by the head of the English department of IATE’s sponsoring institution of higher learning.
  7. To appoint the Editor of the IATE NEWSLETTER and the Editor of the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN.
  8. To recommend policies and procedure for consideration of the members.
  9. To appoint NCTE Directors from the Association as delegates to NCTE’s business meeting and to the meeting of the Board of Directors. (IATE must be represented at least every three years.)
  10. To remove from office any elected officer of the organization by a three-fourths vote of the members present if that officer does not carry out his/her duties as listed in the Constitution and Bylaws or if he/she does not exercise the decision of the Executive Council as these decisions are recorded in the minutes of the Council.

ARTICLE V DUTIES OF THE APPOINTED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS

SECTION 1 The duties of the Editor of the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN shall be:

  1. To edit the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN.
  2. To appoint the Editorial Board for the ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN.

SECTION 2 The duties of the editor of the IATE NEWSLETTER shall be

  1. To edit the IATE NEWSLETTER.
  2. To actively solicit necessary content based on the publication schedule.

SECTION 3 The Parliamentarian shall act as advisor to the officers and members of the organization in matters pertaining to parliamentary usage. In all matters of procedure not covered by the Constitution or Bylaws, the appropriate sections of the latest edition of ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER shall apply.

SECTION 4 The duties of the Webmaster shall be the following:

  1. To maintain and develop technical aspects of the website including online
    registration and payment systems.
  2. To develop functionality as needed to support the goals of the Association.
  3. To host and backup the website and digital archives.
  4. To ensure that the web servers, hardware, and software are operating accurately.
  5. To test updates of the website to ensure correct and effective user experience on different devices and browsers.
  6. To maintain passwords for all online accounts including website and social media accounts.
  7. In collaboration with the Treasurer, to keep an accurate list of the current membership.
  8. To work closely with the President, Executive Secretary, Treasurer, and other officers and committees as needed.
  9. To advise the Executive Council on technology issues as needed.
  10. To serve as an ex officio member of the Technology Committee.

The Webmaster may name one or two Assistant Webmasters with the approval of the Executive Council.  The position of Assistant Webmaster does not include membership on the Executive Council.

ARTICLE VI DUTIES OF THE DISTRICT LEADERS

SECTION 1 The duties of the District Leaders shall be the following:

  1. To keep their respective members informed of the activities of IATE.
  1. To report to the Executive Council at its meetings the needs and desires of

         English/Language Arts teachers throughout the state as represented by the

members of their district.

  1. To organize their districts into workable units.
  1. To call, if possible, an annual meeting of teachers within their districts.
  1. To cooperate, if possible, with the schools and colleges in their areas in

         sponsoring an annual district meeting of teachers of English.

  1. To appoint an alternate with full rights and responsibilities to represent them

when they are unable to attend the fall or spring meetings of the Executive Council.

SECTION 2 There may be up to three leaders per district.

SECTION 3 Tenure of District Leaders is contingent upon effective performance of duties and upon regular attendance at the annual fall conference and at the annual spring meeting of the Executive Council. When a District Leader fails to be present or fails to send an alternate or to submit a written report at two consecutive Executive Council meetings, the President shall have the authority, with the approval of the Executive Council, to appoint a new District Leader.  In a district with two or three leaders, only one need be present at an Executive Council meeting to consider the district represented.

SECTION 4 A District Leader Coordinator shall be elected by the District Leaders from within the District Leader Group. This person shall serve as the main spokesperson for the District Leaders, coordinate, in conjunction with the First Vice President, the meetings and activities of the District` Leaders, and maintain and update a District Leader Handbook.

ARTICLE VII STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEIR DUTIES

SECTION 1 The chairs and members of all standing committees, except the Program Committee, shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Council. Chairs will serve for a period of three years; they may be reappointed for additional three-year terms at the discretion of the President and the Executive Council. Chairs will appoint alternates from their committees with full rights and responsibilities to represent them when they are unable to attend the fall or spring meetings of the Executive Council. In the event a chair of a Standing Committee is unable to attend or to have an alternate attend Executive Council meetings, he/she must provide a written report. When a chair fails to have someone present or fails to provide a written report at two consecutive Executive Council meetings, the President shall have the authority, with the approval of the Executive Council, to appoint a new chairperson.

SECTION 2 The MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE shall be responsible for proposing and implementing actions and projects designed to recruit, retain, and serve the IATE membership.  It shall be composed of up to seven members including the First Vice President ex officio and the Chair of the Minority Affairs Committee ex officio.  The First Vice President will serve as co-chair for the duration of his/her term as First Vice President; the other co-chair and members will be appointed as described in Section 1 of this Article.

SECTION 3 The SPECIAL PROJECTS COMMITTEE shall be responsible for research and other special projects initiated by its members and for studies suggested by the Executive Council.

SECTION 4 The PROGRAM COMMITTEE shall consist of the Second Vice President plus the members representative of various sections of the state. They shall be appointed by the Second Vice President with the help of the President and shall serve for two-year terms.

SECTION 5 The ARTICULATION COMMITTEE shall identify and investigate significant issues in English/Language Arts instruction that affect all levels of education (kindergarten through graduate school), recommend courses of action that address these issues to the Executive Council, and assist the Second Vice President in planning for the fall conference sessions specifically appropriate to all levels of education. Membership of this committee must reflect all levels of education (kindergarten through graduate school.)

SECTION 6 The COMMUNICATION LIAISON COMMITTEE shall serve as a spokesperson officially representing the interests of IATE, seeking and establishing oral and written arenas for communication to publicize and promote English education. In particular, the committee shall be responsible for communications between IATE and the state legislature, the Illinois State Board of Education, colleges and universities, and other professional organizations of teachers in Illinois and shall work in coordination with the IATE President, SLATE Representative, and other appropriate IATE committees.

SECTION 7 The HONORARY AWARDS COMMITTEE shall (a) seek a contemporary Illinois writer to receive the IATE’s Illinois Author-of-the-Year Award; (b) arrange for and purchase suitable tangible awards to be presented to the Author of the Year; and (c) nominate for Honorary Life Membership in IATE members who have given at least ten years of distinguished service to the Association.

SECTION 8 The PUBLICITY COMMITTEE shall (a) prepare and distribute to the various media, news releases on the highlights of the annual fall conference; (b) prepare and send to appropriate media, news releases on all members who participate in the program of the fall conference; (c) prepare and send to appropriate media, news releases on all members who accept leadership responsibilities in the Association; and (d) prepare and send to appropriate media any necessary news releases for Executive Council and Advisory Council meetings throughout the year.

SECTION 9 The CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE shall examine the Constitution and Bylaws to make sure that they clearly and accurately reflect the practices and intentions of the Association, and that all tenets are faithfully upheld. When necessary, the committee will report changes/problems to the Executive Council as per the procedures of Article X of the Constitution.

SECTION 10 The CONFERENCE SITES COMMITTEE shall investigate sites for the fall conference and report its findings and recommendations to the Executive Council.

SECTION 11 The PAUL JACOBS RESEARCH COMMITTEE shall promote the Paul Jacobs Research Grant to prospective candidates and select a worthy recipient(s) on the basis of established criteria. Their recommendation will then be submitted to the Executive Council for its approval. The committee shall consist of a chair and two members.

SECTION 12 The INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM COMMITTEE shall provide information and assistance to teachers regarding matters of censorship. The chair will also coordinate activities with the IATE SLATE representative and the work of the Communication Liaison Committee.

SECTION 13 The MINORITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE shall coordinate the recruitment of and promote the concerns of IATE members from underrepresented groups.

SECTION 14 The TEACHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE shall address issues of English education to keep IATE proactive in the areas of teacher preparation and certification, and professional development.

SECTION 15 The TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE shall (a) work with other committees, officers, and members as necessary to generate content for IATE’s online presence (webpage and social media); (b) with the Webmaster develop and enforce guidelines for acceptable content; (c) develop a social media strategy to engage current and potential members as well as the larger educational community; (d) keep up to date with online offerings from similar organizations; and (e) make recommendations to the Webmaster and the Executive Council as needed.

SECTION 17 The CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE shall serve as the planning and coordinating committee for the annual IATE Conference.  The committee shall consist of members to be appointed by the President.  The Second Vice President, the Treasurer, and the Webmaster shall serve as

members of the committee ex officio.

SECTION 18 When the need arises, chairs and members of additional committees may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Council.

ARTICLE VIII REPRESENTATIVES TO OTHER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Representatives to other professional organizations shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Council. A representative will serve for a period of three years and may be reappointed at the discretion of the President and the Council. Each position will have one vote in the Executive Council even if there is more than one person representing IATE to a given organization.

ARTICLE IX POSITION STATEMENTS

SECTION 1 Position statements issued by IATE shall be in accordance with the purpose of the organization and with Article VII Section 3 of the Association’s Constitution.

SECTION 2 Official IATE position statements that meet the requirements of Section shall first be approved for presentation to the membership by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

A position statement so approved by the Executive Committee shall then be distributed to the membership in the IATE NEWSLETTER at least two weeks prior to the general business meeting at which they will be voted on or prior to the opening of the period for electronic voting.  If that issue of the IATE NEWSETTER is published electronically, the membership will either be sent a electronically or notified electronically of the existence and location of that issue.

A vote of two thirds of the members present and voting is required for approval of a position statement at a general meeting. 

A vote of two thirds of the members submitting electronic votes within 30 days of the publication of the position statement is required for approval of a position statement through electronic voting.

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