Bylaws Amendment 2015
Shared and approved during May 2018 SDA meeting.
Article IV 4.41-4.4.5
Shared and approved during September 17, 2015 SDA meeting.
Proposals are notated as follows:
deletion to existing text
addition to existing text
RATIONALE: explanation for the needed change.
ARTICLE II — MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 — Membership: Membership is open to any ESU employee whose role is defined by and supports the purpose statement in Article I, Section 2 — Removal from membership: Current members whose roles no longer meet these criteria will be removed from the membership.
Rationale: Members whose roles have changed should belong to the ESUPDO affiliate (or other) that most closely aligns with their job responsibilities.
Section 2 Section 3 — Rights of members: Each member shall be eligible to attend and vote at SDA Business Meetings, to participate in SDA elections, and to attend trainings and other opportunities sponsored by SDA.
Rationale: SDA elections are no longer held.
ARTICLE III — MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
3.1 MEETING PURPOSE
SDA business meetings are conducted to advance the purpose and direction of the organization and to provide a venue for membership networking.
3.2 MEETING LOGISTICS
3.2.1 The meeting schedule for the upcoming year is publicized on or before the final meeting of the current year.
3.2.2 Registration for upcoming meetings shall be open and publicized at least one month prior to the meeting.
3.2.3 The agenda for business meetings shall be publicized at least ten days prior to the meeting. The agenda may be amended once the meeting has been called to order.
3.3 QUORUM
The members present at any business meeting shall constitute a quorum.
3.4 VOTING
All matters to be voted upon shall be decided by a majority vote of those present with the exception of changes to SDA bylaws, which shall require a two-thirds majority vote.
ARTICLE IV — STRATEGISTS
4.1 ROLE
As the leadership team of SDA, the strategists shall
advance the purpose and direction of SDA through business meetings and professional development opportunities.
establish and act upon organizational goals that build membership capacity and accomplish targeted and specific support for schools.
align and sustain resources to meet the needs of the organization.
create an organizational environment that is welcoming and collaborative.
cultivate professional relationships and networking through purposeful activities.
facilitate internal membership communication as well as two-way communication between SDA and other educational partners (e.g., ESUPDO affiliates, ESUCC, NDE).
select members to serve as strategists.
coordinate end-of-year recognition.
provide a representative presence on the ESUPDO planning committee.
update the bylaws within each five-year strategist rotational cycle to reflect current organizational structure and practice as well as the current educational landscape.
4.2 MEETINGS
Strategists shall meet as needed to address the responsibilities identified in 4.1. Special meetings shall convene upon request of the chair or one-third of the strategists. Strategist meetings entail
communicating with members of the ESUCC professional development committee regarding strategist meeting dates, agendas, and other information as requested.
working with an NDE liaison to prioritize and select departmental personnel who wish to address the membership at business meetings.
4.3 QUORUM
A simple majority of strategists assembled for the purpose of conducting a meeting shall constitute a quorum.
4.4 STRATEGIST POSITIONS AND DUTIES
There shall be five strategist positions: past chair, chair, recorder, reporter, and representative.
Each position is a one-year term. The rotation sequence begins with representative and concludes with past chair.
The duties of the strategists are as follows:
4.4.1 PAST CHAIR
provide historical perspective
collaborate with the chair as needed and requested
4.4.2 CHAIR
serve as the point of contact for all matters pertaining to SDA
create agendas for strategist and SDA business meetings
facilitate strategist and SDA business meetings
communicate information to the membership in a timely and efficient manner
coordinate the strategist selection process
articulate SDA budget requests to the ESUCC executive director
monitor activity on the SDA electronic mailing list (with recorder)
attend ESUCC/NDE collaborative meetings (with recorder)
4.4.3 RECORDER
record minutes at SDA business meetings
review and update the SDA membership list, including the electronic mailing list
monitor activity on the SDA electronic mailing list (with chair)
attend ESUCC/NDE collaborative meetings (with chair)
4.4.4 REPORTER
record minutes at strategist meetings
provide strategist meeting reports at SDA business meetings
coordinate mentoring of new SDA members (with representative)
4.4.5 REPRESENTATIVE
coordinate mentoring of new SDA members (with reporter)
4.5 STRATEGIST SELECTION
The strategists shall annually appoint a new member to the representative position according to the criteria outlined in Appendix D. Once acceptance of a strategist appointment is secured, the chair shall communicate the selection to the membership on or before last SDA business meeting of the year. The newly-appointed strategist's term shall commence following the last business meeting.
4.6 VACANCIES
In the event a vacancy should occur in a strategist position, the strategists shall determine the best approach to addressing the vacancy, including
appoint a member to the representative position with the current strategists advancing their positions accordingly
appoint a member to fill the vacated position for either the balance of the term or as a replacement for the position
leave the position vacant with the remaining strategists temporarily assuming the responsibilities for balance of the term
The chair shall notify the membership once an appointment has been accepted.
ARTICLE VI — AMENDMENTS
Section 1 — Amendments to Bylaws: SDA members may propose a new or revised Amendment to the strategists for consideration. Proposals must be in writing and include the exact language to be considered as well as the rationale for the proposed Amendment. The strategists shall review the proposal at the next regular strategist meeting and determine whether the proposal is ready for consideration by the membership or whether further clarification and/or rationale is needed. The resulting proposal will be shared with the membership at least two weeks prior to the SDA business meeting in which it will be considered for approval. Proposed Amendments must receive a two-thirds majority vote of those present (including electronically) in order to be approved.
Rationale: Since virtual presence is a standard attendance option, there is no need to set it off.
Appendix E — Networking: Information-sharing occurs through these primary channels:
SDA listserv electronic mailing list: esusda@lists.k12.ne.us. Subscribing to this listserv can be completed online: lists.k12.ne.us/mailman/listinfo. Members can share information with the membership as well as post requests for assistance. Members can subscribe by accessing the website (http://lists.k12.ne.us/wws/info/esusda) or by contacting the ESUCC executive assistant. The SDA electronic mailing list is primarily used to communicate information of importance to the membership and as a venue in which to post questions.
Rationale: Update the web access link to the electronic mailing list and the modes to subscribe.
Appendix H — Member Recognition:
SDA acknowledges retiring and exiting members at a year-end celebration event.
The SDA Chair and any non-returning members are is recognized by members the strategists, on behalf of the membership, during the same celebration event. during the final meeting of the year.
Rationale: Update to reflect current practice. Make sure it is clear this is separate from the PDO end of the year celebration event.
Appendix I — New Member Mentoring Program
Prior to the first regular SDA Business Meeting, new members are assigned mentors from the current membership. In order to encourage networking, mentors are not from the same ESU as the new members to whom they are assigned. The reporter and representative serve as coordinators.
Rationale: Update to reflect current practice. This Appendix will be inserted as Appendix H, with the following Appendices adjusting accordingly.