CONSTITUTION

of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators

Revised, July 25, 2011

Article I:  Name

The name of this association will be the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators (The Association) a nonprofit organization, and the official state unit of the parent national organization, the Association of Teacher Educators.

Article II: Purposes

A.    To provide for individual professional growth for all persons concerned with teacher education in Georgia through:

1.   Participation in meeting and activities of the Association.
2.   Leadership opportunities.
3.   Preparation of publications and other media.
4.  Access to publications and other media.
5.  Personal association with other teacher educators.
6.  Development of personal and professional ethical standards.

B.     To promote quality programs for teacher education in Georgia as an Association by:

1.  Preparing and dissemination of ideas, practices, and programs.
2.  Encouraging, initiating, and engaging in program development and research.
3.  Providing leadership at the state level by such means as:
a. Issuing position papers.
b. Developing guidelines for excellence in professional preparation.
c. Helping initiate, frame, and promote state legislation, rules, and
regulations.
4.  Cooperating with other education agencies, organizations, and                                          institutions.
5.  Serving as a coordination vehicle through which related teacher                                       education organizations may:
a. Engage in productive dialogue.
b. Cooperate in services – publications, administrative, and research.
c. Engage in collective action.

Article III:  Membership

Section 1         Classes

Individual memberships will be of four classes:  Regular, Life, Student, and Retired.

Section 2         Regular Meeting

All persons either engaged or interested in teacher education in the state of Georgia may become regular members by paying stipulated annual dues and shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association except as noted in the following paragraphs.

Membership in the national Association Teacher Educators is strongly urged to all members, required of all officers, but shall not be a requirement for either Regular, Life, Student or Retired membership.

Section 3         Life membership

Life membership in the Association shall be available to members by a one-time payment of a fee equal to twenty times the annual dues current for a Regular membership at the time of application for life membership.  Such lifetime membership entitles the member to all privileges of the Association enjoyed by those paying annual dues.

Section 4        Student Membership

All persons enrolled as students in undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs at any teacher preparation institution in the State of Georgia may become Student members of the Association by paying the stipulated dues provided that in every case payment is accompanied by the appropriate form signed by a Regular, Life or Retired member.  Student members shall have the right to receive  such services of the Association as shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Section 5         Retired Membership

Retired membership status shall be available to any individual entitled to regular membership status who is retired.  Retired members are entitled to all benefits and privileges of the Association upon payment of stipulated dues.

Section 6        Participation

No request for either Regular, Life, Student or Retired membership may be denied on the basis of race, color, creed or gender.

Article IV:  Officers

Section 1         Officers

The Officers shall be a President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  A parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President.

Section 2         Qualifications

Any active member who holds Regular, Life or Retired membership at the time of his nomination may be nominated for the office of President-Elect, Secretary or Treasurer.

All elected and appointed officers of the Association shall be required to become members of the national Association of Teacher Educators for the term of their office.

Section 3         Election

All elected officers shall be elected in the spring preceding the beginning of their term July 1.  A slate of nominees determined by a nominating committee will be sent electronically to the membership.  The membership may suggest additional nominees and return the slate to the nominating committee. Election shall be conducted electronically from the final ballot

Section 4        Appointed Officers

The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the president and approved by the Executive Committee.  He/she shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee and be responsible to it.

Section 5         Tenure

The tenure of each officer shall be as follows:

President – Two years
President-Elect – Two years
Immediate Past President – Two years
Secretary – Two years
Treasurer – Four years

All officers shall assume office at the beginning of the ensuing fiscal year, July 1.
Officers may serve consecutive terms.
The term of office of the Executive Secretary shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Article V:  Delegates to the National Assembly

Section 1         Qualifications

Representatives/Delegates to the nation Delegate Assembly must be or become a member of the national  Association of Teacher Educators for the term of the office and must have served or be presently serving as either an elected or appointed officer or member of the Executive Committee.

Section 2         Election

All elected representatives/delegates shall be elected in the spring preceding the beginning of their term July 1.  A slate of nominees determined by a nominating committee will be sent electronically to the membership.  The membership may suggest additional nominees and return the slate to the nominating committee. Election shall be conducted electronically from the final ballot

Section 3         Representation

The number of delegates to which the Association is entitled shall represent the State Association at the National Delegate Assembly.

Section 4        Tenure

Each representative/delegate shall be elected for a three-year term, the term of one overlapping the other.  Alternate delegates shall be elected for three-year terms.  Two delegates and one alternate delegate must be from the public or private school personnel at the election and during the term of office.  The other two delegates and Alternate delegate must be persons from a college, university, State Department of Education or related educational agency.  The delegate shall assume office at the beginning of the fiscal year following election.  No delegate may serve more than two consecutive terms.

Any vacancy occurring during the term of office shall be filled by decision of the Executive Committee.

Article VI:  Executive Committee

Section 1         Membership

The Executive Committee shall consist of six elected committee representatives plus the five officers, the delegates and alternates to the national ATE conference, making a total of seventeen. All elected officers, ATE Representatives/Delegates, ATE Alternates and the Immediate Past-President shall serve as voting members of the Executive Committee except that the President shall vote only in the case of a tie vote.  The Executive Secretary shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Executive Committee.

Section 2         Qualifications

Any active member who holds Regular, Life or Retired membership at the time of his nomination may be nominated as a Representative to the Executive Committee, and must be or become a member of the national Association of Teacher Educators for the term of office.

Section 3         Election

All elected representatives shall be elected in the spring preceding the beginning of their term July 1.  A slate of nominees determined by a nominating committee will be sent electronically to the membership.  The membership may suggest additional nominees and return the slate to the nominating committee. Election shall be conducted electronically from the final ballot

The six elected Representatives may not serve consecutive terms.

Section 4        Representation

The six elected Representatives shall be divided as follows:  Two must be classroom personnel working in teacher education at the time of their election; two must be college or university personnel working directly in teacher education; and the other two shall be elected at-large.

A representative’s inability to serve, failure to attend two consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee, or election or appointment to an office shall cause the seat to be declared vacant.  The vacancy shall be filled by Presidential appointment subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 5         Tenure

Representatives shall be elected for a term of three years with one overlapping the other.  Vacancies occurring during the year shall be filled by Presidential appointment subject to Executive Committee approval.

Section 6        Voting

The number present required for a quorum of the Executive Committee shall be nine of the seventeen voting members.

Article IXQuorum

Section 1         Quorum for Business Meeting

One-fourth of the active members shall constitute a quorum at a meeting to which all members have been invited two weeks in advance.  One-fourth of the active members shall constitute a quorum at a business meeting either regularly scheduled or specially called.

Section 2         Quorum for the Executive Committee

The number required for a quorum of the Executive Committee shall be nine of the seventeen voting members.

If there is no quorum for an officially called meeting, those present may function as an official body to take action on problems and/or issues and make subsequent recommendations and/or motions which shall be presented to the entire Executive Committee by mail or electronically for final approval.

Article XIAssets on Liquidation

No part of the net income, revenue, and grants of the Association shall be inure to the benefit of any member, officer, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered in connection with one or more of its purposes). No part of the assets of the Association shall be inure to the benefit of any member, officer, or any private individual, on the dissolution or liquidation of the Association.  In the event of such dissolution or liquidation, the assets of the organization, after payment of debts and obligations, shall be transferred to the Association of Teacher Educators to fund a scholarship in the name of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators.

Article XIAmendments

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by regular members in good standing.  Such proposed amendments shall become a part of the constitution when they have been (1) approved by a majority of the voting members of the Executive Committee, and (2) approved by a majority plus one of the eligible voting membership voting in a mail or electronic ballot on the amendment/amendments.