Pennsylvania Association of Elementary School Principals

PAESP CONSTITUTION

Adopted by Membership October 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.      Mission Statement
             
II.     PAESP Constitution                      
             Article I                      Name                        
             Article II                     Purpose                        
             Article III                    Membership                        
             Article IV                     Officers                      
             Article V                      Executive Board                      
             Article VI                     Elections                        
             Article VII                    Committees                       
             Article VIII                   Local Associations                        
             Article IX                     Meetings                      
             Article X                      Dues                        
             Article XI                     Parliamentary Procedures                     
             Article XII                    Amendments                        
             Article XIII                   Implementation

The Pennsylvania Association of Elementary School Principals is dedicated to assuring that every Pennsylvania boy and girl receive the very best elementary and middle school education. In carrying out that mission, we are mindful of two particularly striking findings of research: first, that children’s early years in school are the most crucial to their future, not only in the classroom, but, indeed, in life.  And second, that the key figure in assuring a top quality school is the principal. We accept the profound challenges inherent in those findings, and we emphasize that the school’s first and foremost concern must be the progress and welfare of its students. Each of them must be helped to achieve their full potential. We recognize an obligation to make continuing contributions towards strengthening the principalship and the profession - through cooperation with the institutions that prepare school administrators; through counsel and constructive relationships with governmental bodies at all levels; and through a wide range of PAESP training programs, publications, conferences and professional meetings aimed at helping aspiring principals reach their goal and practicing principals hone their skills. The Association will strive to:

• Assist members in fulfilling their role as instructional leaders and effective managers who promote the best educational program for all students.        
• Give members an effective voice in the educational decision- making process at the local, state and federal levels.           
• Improve members’ working conditions so that their rights are protected, their job descriptions are reasonable, the importance of their instructional leadership role is recognized, and their salaries and fringe benefits are equitable. Overall, PAESP is dedicated to serving our state, to assuring its continued strength and prosperity by assuring the best possible schooling for our most important resource, our children.

II.            CONSTITUTION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary School Principals (PAESP) in affiliation with the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to foster quality education for the children of the Commonwealth, promote professional growth, protect the interests of its members, advance the practice of elementary and middle school administration as a profession and work cooperatively with the Pennsylvania Association of Secondary School Principals

Article III - Membership

Section 1.   Active membership is open to any individual engaged in elementary or middle school administration or supervision and/or teaching elementary or middle school administration or supervision upon payment of annual dues to the state and national association.

Section 2.  Institutional membership is open to all elementary, middle schools, libraries and other educational institutions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania upon payment of annual dues. Institutional members shall receive copies of all publications of this organization.

Section 3.  Emeritus membership is open to all members who have retired from active service in education upon payment of annual dues established for retired members.

Section 4.  Aspiring membership is available to teachers with administrative certification and graduate students in educational administration who are not eligible for active membership, upon payment of annual dues established for aspiring members. Aspiring members shall receive the regular publications of the Association and shall be entitled to register at the Annual Conference, all PAESP workshops and conferences at the member rate.

Section 5.  Honorary life membership may be awarded to an individual whose contribution to the Association is of such a nature and extent that the Executive Board votes unanimously to confer this honor. 

Section 6.          Special membership may be extended to those who do not qualify under sections 1,2,3,4, or 5 of Article III, upon approval of the Executive Board.  The Board shall have the right to waive or adjust the dues.

Section 7.          Active and emeritus members only shall have the privilege of participating and voting in Association business meetings.

 

Article IV - Officers

Section 1.          All officers shall be active members - as defined in Article III, Section 1 - of the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary School Principals and shall include a President, President-elect, immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer and State Representative to the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Section 2.   Officers shall begin their duties at the termination of the business meeting of the Annual Conference. The President-elect shall succeed to the office of President.            The Secretary, Treasurer and State Representative to NAESP shall each serve a three year term and be elected on an annual rotation basis, i.e., only one office to be filled at each annual election along with the office of President-elect.

Section 3.          In the case of a vacancy in the office of President, the President-elect shall assume the office of President until the Executive Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting shall appoint a successor to complete the unexpired term.

Section 4.          In the case of a vacancy in the office of President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, or State Representative to NAESP the Executive Board shall make a pro tem appointment to complete the unexpired term. The appointment shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the Board.

 

Article V - Executive Board

Section 1.          All Executive Board members shall be active members - as defined in Article III, Section 1 - of the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary School Principals .

Section 2.          The Executive Board shall consist of (a) all officers, (b) one small cities representative, (c) ten members elected by geographic region and (d) non-voting committee chairpersons appointed by the President and approved by the Board.

                        2.1 The small cities representative shall be elected at large by the membership for a three year term.

 

                        2.2  Ten members shall be elected by geographic region by the membership for terms of three years, with three or four members elected each year. Elected regional representatives shall begin their duties at the termination of the business meeting of the Annual Conference. These elected regional board members shall represent equally members from the following geographic sections and regions of the Commonwealth:

 

Eastern Section

            East I Region - Susquehanna, Wayne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, Pike and Luzerne Counties 

            East II Region - Monroe, Carbon, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Northhampton, and Berks Counties

            East III Region - Bucks, Montgomery, Chester Philadelphia and Delaware Counties

Central Section

            Central I Region - McKean, Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming,             Clearfield, Centre and Sullivan Counties

            Central II Region - Union, Northumberland, Columbia, Snyder, Montour, Dauphin,             Perry, Lebanon, Cumberland, Lancaster, Franklin, Adams and York Counties

            Central III Region - Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Juniata, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Blair and             Cambria Counties

West Section

            West I Region - Erie, Warren, Crawford, Venango, Forest, Clarion and Jefferson Counties

            West II Region - Mercer, Lawrence. Beaver, Butler, Armstrong and Indiana Counties

            West III Region - Washington, Greene, Fayette, Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties

            West IV Region - City of Pittsburgh

Section 3.          An Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director and Western Regional Office Manager may be employed by the Executive Board to perform such duties as the Board may prescribe. They shall be non-voting ex-officio members of the Executive Board and of all committees.

Section 4.          In case of a vacancy in any of the ten regional representatives and/or small cities representative, the Executive Board shall make a pro tem appointment to complete the unexpired term. The appointment shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the Board.

 

Article VI - Elections

Members of the Executive Board shall be elected by vote of eligible members in the following manner:

Section 1.        A nominating committee of three (3) eligible members (none of whom shall be a member of the Executive Board) shall be appointed by the President to serve for one year. The names of the nominating committee shall be published prior to the December Executive Board meeting.

Section 2.   The nominating committee shall endeavor to submit at least two names for each office to be filled. The nominees shall be from geographic sections and regions as outlined under Article V, Section 2.2.

Section 3.          The office of the Executive Director shall send ballots by mail prior to April 1 to all active and emeritus members listed on the membership roster as of February 28. Information concerning the candidates shall be included with the ballot and space shall be provided on the ballot for write-in votes. Members shall be instructed to return the ballot postmarked not later than the April board meeting. Ballots post marked later than the specified date will not be counted.

Section 4.          The nominating committee, appointed by the President, shall open ballots on or before the April Executive Board meeting and certify the election to the Executive Board. A plurality shall constitute an election. The Executive Board shall notify the members of the Association in case of a tie vote in the statewide election of officers and a run-off election shall be held during the business meeting of the Annual Conference. In the event of a tie vote in the election of regional representatives, a run-off election will be held within the region prior to the Annual Conference.

 

Article VII - Committees

Committees may be appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Board to serve specified purposes.   Approved committee chairperson appointments shall be for a period of three years.

 

Article VIII - Local Associations

Section 1.        Local Associations of Elementary Principals and Administrators may be organized at each Intermediate Unit.

Section 2.        The President of each Intermediate Unit Association or his/her delegate shall collectively constitute an Advisory Council to the Executive Board subject to the call of the PAESP President.

 

Article IX - Meetings

Section 1.          The Association shall hold such meetings as are deemed necessary by the President or Executive Board.

Section 2.        There shall be a business meeting of the general membership held each year at the Annual Conference.

Section 3.  All Board motions will require a simple majority of the voting members present to pass, unless specified differently in this document.

 

Article X - Dues

Section 1.          The fiscal year of the Association shall be July 1 to June 30.

Section 2.          Dues shall be established annually at a regular meeting of the Executive Board to meet the financial obligations of the Association. Such action must be approved by a two- thirds vote of the total membership of the Executive Board.

 

Article XI - Parliamentary Procedures

Section 1.  On all matters of procedure not specifically provided for in this Constitution, the official authority shall be the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.

Section 2.        The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian to serve at the business meetings of the Association.


Article XII - Amendments

This Constitution may be amended at a business meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided that the proposed amendment(s) have been reviewed by the Executive Board and submitted to the active membership in written form thirty days before the meeting. All amendments that are approved will become effective immediately.

 

Article XIII - Implementation

This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon adoption by a majority of the votes cast by the 1990-91 membership of the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary School Principals.