Constitution
Ketchikan Education Association Constitution Approved and Adopted by KEA General Membership May of 1995
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Ketchikan Education Association (KEA)
Article II. Purpose
Section 1. To promote within the membership the highest type of professional practices and ethics; to foster active participation of all members in the solution of school problems; and to encourage every member to continue his/her professional training.
Section 2. To promote participation in school management; to secure and maintain adequate salaries, benefits, retirement, tenure, and working conditions as will enable members to make maximum contributions to the educational process.
Section 3. To cooperate with civic bodies having educational objectives, and to publicize the function, strengths, and weaknesses of the public schools.
Section 4. To promote higher education through scholarships or other appropriate means.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. KEA membership is limited to persons who support the principles and goals of KEA and who maintain membership in NEA and NEA-Alaska. There shall be the following classes of membership: Certified, Educational support, Reserve, and Student.
- Certified Membership shall include any person who is engaged in education as a profession in Alaska or who is on a limited leave of absence from professional work, or who is serving as an executive officer of NEA or NEA-Alaska, or who has retired from the district and has held membership in KEA for at least one year prior to retirement. Certified members shall hold or be eligible to hold a baccalaureate or higher degree or a regular, vocational, administrative, special services, or professional certificate required by the State Department of Education.
- Educational support membership shall include any employee of the school district who is not eligible for certified membership, including a person who is on a limited leave of absence from such employment or who is serving as an executive officer of NEA or NEA-Alaska, or who has held membership in KEA for at least one year prior to retirement.
- Reserve membership is open to any person who is temporarily not employed by the school district for a period of time less than three years.
- Student membership is open to any student enrolled in, or preparing for a program of study in, an accredited institution of higher learning that qualifies the student for a career in education, except that any person who has ever been eligible for certified or educational support membership is not eligible for student membership.
Section 3. Reserve and student members shall have all the rights of certified and educational support members except the right to vote and hold office.
Section 4. Subscription to the code of ethics for the teaching profession as adopted by NEA-Alaska shall be a requirement for membership in KEA.
Section 5. No person who is a member of any organization, group, or body that advocates to overthrow the US Government by force shall be eligible for membership in KEA.
Section 6. The membership year shall be July 1 to June 30 inclusive.
Article IV. Officers
Elected KEA officers shall consist of a president, a vice president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a treasurer-elect. Assistant officers (without vote) may be appointed to fulfill specific responsibilities.
Article V. Executive Board
Section 1. Section 1. The KEA Executive Board shall consist of the officers, the past president, one representative from each membership group as defined in the By-laws except that the high school (and Houghtaling – added 2004) shall have two representatives and the members elected to serve as Delegates to NEA-Alaska Delegate Assembly, NEA-Alaska Board of Directors, NEA Board of Directors, or NEA Representative Assembly.
Section 2. The meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at least once each month during the school year at the call of the President, or the call of the majority of the Executive Bard. It shall be the duty of the Executive Board to conduct KEA business between general meetings.
Article VI. Committees
Section 1. There shall be the following kinds of KEA committees: standing committees and ad-hoc committees. These committees are appointed by the President and Vice- President subject to approval by the Executive Board.
Section 2. These committees shall follow their respective committee policies and guidelines as found in KEA documents and set forth by the Executive Board.
Section 3. Standing Committees: There shall be the following standing committees: Negotiation and Negotiation Support for each Bargaining Unit, Professional Rights and Responsibilities, Membership, Membership Support, Public Relations, Nominations and Elections, Degree Plus, Professional Leave, Budget, Instructional and Professional Development, Multicultural Affairs, and KEA-PACE.
- Negotiation Teams and Support Committees, representing each KEA Bargaining Unit, shall conduct polls and collect information as may be required to develop a negotiation package. The Negotiation Team shall act as the sole representative or bargaining agent for KEA in all negotiations with the Gateway Borough School District. The Negotiation Team shall consult with the NEA-AK staff and officers as appropriate.
- Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee shall follow procedures outlined in the negotiated agreement(s) between KEA bargaining units and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District (KGBSD) and process all grievances and complaints as appropriate. The Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee may consider problems of an ethical nature as set forth by the Alaska PTPC guidelines and the NEA Code of Ethics.
- Membership Committee shall organize and conduct unified membership enrollment and inform members of the accomplishments of the KEA, and supply members with a copy of the Constitution, By-laws, and policies of KEA upon request.
- Membership Support Committee shall work to develop a sense of community within the membership of KEA.
- Public Relations Committee shall work to develop public and internal understanding of the purposes, programs, and concerns of KEA.
- Nominations and Elections Committee shall present the names for each office in March. Usually the committee shall consist of one member chosen at large, and one member from each membership group.
- Degree Plus Committee shall recommend teachers who have applied and met criteria in the negotiated agreement for horizontal advancement on the salary scale.
- Professional Leave Committee shall screen and recommend applicants for professional leave. The committee shall be composed of two administrators and two teachers.
- Budget Committee shall review the KGBSD Budget and make information available to the president
- Instructional and Professional Development Committee shall research issues of concern to KEA and make information available to the membership.
- Multicultural Affairs Committee shall develop policies, activities, and curriculum that address and promote the cultural diversity of staff and students.
- The KEA-PACE Committee shall coordinate the political and legislative programs of KEA
Article VII. Meetings
Section 1. KEA membership assembled at a general meeting shall be the highest authority within KEA.
Section 2. There shall be at least two general meetings, one in the fall and one in the spring of each membership year. General meetings may be scheduled by the President of the Executive Board. Furthermore, if 25% of the membership petitions the Executive Board for a general meeting, the Executive Board must schedule a meeting within fourteen calendar days.
Section 3. KEA members must receive notification of a general meeting at least five calendar days prior to the meeting. The notice shall include the purpose of the general meeting.
Section 4. Only certified and educational support members at a general meeting have the authority to:
- Adopt a budget;
- Expend funds beyond 10% of the total budget;
- Determine the annual dues;
- Initiate a vote on a negotiated agreement;
- Initiate a strike vote;
- Or initiate a recall election.
Section 6. The KEA membership shall be notified of meetings of the Executive Board at least two days prior to the meeting. Notification will include the purpose of the meeting.
Section 7. All meetings of the Executive Board shall be open to the general membership.
Section 8. There shall be an annual Policy Assembly open to the general membership. The purpose of the Policy Assembly is:
A. To establish goals and objectives for KEA;
B. To develop guidelines for the representatives to NEA-Alaska’s Delegate Assembly and NEA’s Representative Assembly.
Article VIII. KEA Dues
Section 1. Dues for certified members shall be determined at a general meeting.
Section 2. Dues for educational support and reserve members shall be one-half the dues of certified members.
Section 3. Dues for retired/certified members, retired educational support members, and student members shall be $5.00.
Article IX. Compensation for Delegates
Any delegate or other official representative of KEA shall receive a per diem. The Executive Board shall establish the per diem rate.
Article X. Quorum
A quorum for all KEA meetings shall consist of those members present. A quorum of Executive Board meetings shall consist of a majority of those members of the Executive Board.
Article XI. Amendments
Section 1. The Constitution or By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those voting at a general meeting provided notice in writing of the proposed amendment shall have been filed with the secretary prior to presentation at the general meeting preceding the one at which the amendment is to be voted on.
Section 2. Policy may be amended by a majority of those voting at a general meeting, an Executive Board meeting, or a Policy Assembly. Policy changes will not take effect on the day the changes are made.
Article XII. Affiliation
KEA is unified with NEA-Alaska and the National Education Association.