W.H. Taft Charter High School
Associated Student Body (ASB) By-Laws and Constitution
Preamble
We, the students of W.H. Taft Charter High School, in order to promote unity, cooperation, and harmony, provide opportunities for personal and social growth through student activities, develop constructive student leadership, and encourage high moral standards and scholastic aptitude, do hereby ordain and maintain this constitution of and for the associated student body of W.H. Taft Charter High School.
Article 1. Organization
a. Name of Organization: Associated Student Body (ASB) of W.H. Taft Charter High School
b. Purpose/Objective: This organization shall:
Unify all student organizations at W.H. Taft Charter High School under one general contract/guidelines.
Maintain continual communication from student leaders to faculty members and administrators as well as among the general student population within the school.
Develop an understanding and appreciation of the democratic process and provide a forum in which students can address school issues that affect their experiences.
Develop, in all students, a growing understanding of membership in a democracy at school.
Encourage involvement and enthusiasm in all activities school-wide.
Promote, in all ways, the best interests of the school.
Offer a year-long program of social functions and community involvement projects for all students.
Provide leadership training for students in the duties and responsibilities of good citizenship, using the school environment as the primary training ground.
c. Time, place, and frequency of meetings of officers: ASB will meet every school day during the designated period for ASB. Financial/Business meetings will be held every Tuesday during the designated period for ASB. The designated meeting room is C3. The Cabinet / The Executive Board must hold separate council meetings every other week dependent on their availability.
d. Definition of quorum: Quorum shall consist of the majority (⅔ or better) of the enrolled members.
Article 2. Membership
a. All registered students enrolled at W.H. Taft Charter High School shall be members of the Associated Student Body. Members shall be entitled to one vote in all student body elections.
b. Eligibility - Student leaders in ASB/Leadership/Council must:
Be enrolled at W.H. Taft Charter High School as a full-time student.
Have the availability in their school schedule to register for Leadership.
Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Be in good standing with the Dean’s Office.
Maintain eligibility according to district eligibility rules.
c. Any additional eligibility requirements per position are listed.
Article 3. Officers and Elections
a. The Cabinet / The Executive Board consist of the positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Historian.
b. Duties of The Cabinet / The Executive Board
To be eligible to run for a President, students MUST have at least 2 years of experience (4 consecutive semesters) of ASB at W.H. Taft Charter High School and MUST be a Senior for the year they will be in Office.
To be eligible to run for Vice President, students MUST have at least 2 years of experience (4 consecutive semesters) of ASB at W.H. Taft Charter High School and CAN be a Junior or Senior for the year they will be in Office.
To be eligible to run for any other Cabinet / Executive Board position, students MUST have at least 1 year of experience (2 consecutive semesters) of ASB at W.H. Taft Charter High School.
All students that want to
The President is the primary student contact for the student organization and the “external spokesperson” of the group who regularly interacts with other student organizations and Taft Administration. They are the liaison between the student organization and the advisor and community contacts. The duties for this position should be tailored as the student organization deems necessary. The responsibilities of this position tend to include but are not limited to:
Works with the ASB Advisor to plan the year, implement new ideas and create agendas for and facilitate and maintain order of monthly meetings of the Cabinet.
Assists Commissioners in creating committees.
Ensures that all Cabinet, ASB tasks, and personal responsibilities are taken care of in a timely manner and in accordance with budgets.
Assists in the process of interviewing and appointing new Commissioners and members alongside the ASB Advisor.
Represents the student body of Taft Charter HS in special events with outside organizations.
Serves as an exemplar of respectful, responsible and reliable leadership to other students.
Commits to continual growth as a leader by completing assignments and participating in leadership development seminars and conferences when possible.
The Vice President should be the President’s “right hand person” and should maintain continuous contact with the President. The Vice President must be up-to-date on all student organization communication and events. The responsibilities of the Vice President include but are not limited to:
Supports the president in duties #1-4 or assume them in their absence.
Records any information within meetings that should be written for the immediate viewing of all attendees.Assists the President with the oversight of the student organization including fundraising, event planning, etc.
Serves as an exemplar of respectful, responsible and reliable leadership to other students.
Manages student survey administration and relationship with the Student House of Representatives so that there is constant input from the student body.
Commits to continual growth as a leader by completing assignments assigned and participating in leadership development seminars and conferences when possible.
All student organizations are required to elect or appoint a chief financial officer (Treasurer) to manage their financial matters. The Treasurer should keep the Officers and members informed about financial activities. The responsibilities of the Treasurer include but are not limited to:
Modifies and approves draft budgets created by committees for events and projects.
Maintains a record book of all income and expenses for the Leadership account from start to finish of their term.
Requests a report of the current account balance from the W.H. Taft Charter High School account manager the first Monday (or Tuesday if no school) of every month or when needed.
Analyzes the costs and benefits of various fundraisers to provide advice on class fundraising strategies.
As signatory, approves purchase orders, requisitions and other money requests generated by any class officer.
Oversees ticket sales and handling of money for all major events and other sales ensuring that all money is accounted for and immediately delivered to the W.H. Taft Charter High School
The Secretary provides administrative support and performs numerous duties, including scheduling, writing correspondence, emailing, handling visitors, routing callers, and answering questions and requests. The responsibilities of the Secretary include but are not limited to:
Records all relevant information as meeting minutes, and emails these minutes to the ASB Advisor and all members.
Maintains attendance, participation points, records of meetings, and submits them to the Advisor on a weekly basis.
Supports the Cabinet in holding Commissioners/members to high professional standards
Sends timely reminders to ASB members about upcoming meetings and events.
Reads aloud the minutes of the previous meeting at weekly meetings.
Reports suggestions, complaints, and feedback as they arise in monthly Cabinet meetings.
The Sergeant-at-Arms position is appointed and is responsible for keeping order during meetings and makes sure that members are following Parliamentary procedures and rules. The responsibilities of the Sergeant-at-Arms include, but are not limited to:
Maintaining order during Business meetings
Understand and enforce Parliamentary procedures (Robert’s Rules) during Business meetings
Enforces rules set by Administration, LAUSD, and Student Government leaders
Assist the Cabinet in various duties pertaining to recording participation of members
Keeps records of events
The Historian is responsible for documenting school events; this may involve taking photographs or taking notes and keeping a journal. Additional duties may include helping maintain and update the ASB web page and social media accounts. The responsibilities of the historian include but are not limited to:
Knowledgeable about past, current, and plans for future activities of the council.
Well organized, accurate and dependable.
In charge of all of the Handbook and Commissioner Binders each year.
Continues to collect and curate files, photographs and any other important documents.
Updates website and any social media accounts.
b. Election of Officers: The positions in The Cabinet / The Executive Board shall be filled by general election held annually (during the spring semester). No member of The Cabinet / The Executive Board may hold more than one Cabinet / Executive Board office or Class Office.
c. Term of Office: Cabinet / Executive Board members shall hold office for one academic year.
Article 4. Class Officers (other than The Cabinet / The Executive Board)
a. Class Officers are: Senior Class President, Senior Class Vice President, Junior Class President, Junior Class Vice President, Sophomore Class President, Sophomore Class Vice President, Freshman Class Co-Presidents. Duties of Class Officers are stated in the By-Laws.
b. Election of Class Officers: Class Officer positions shall be filled by general election held annually (during the spring semester). No Class Officer may hold more than one office. The Student Body votes for their respective grade levels only.
c. Qualifications for eligibility: See Article 2. Addition: Class Officers must be in the respective grade level of office in which they are running.
d. Term of Office: Class Officers shall hold office for one academic year.
Article 5. Commissioners (representatives other than officers)
a. Commissioner positions are: Events Commissioners, Publicity Commissioners, Spirit Commissioners, Student-Faculty Representatives, Philanthropy Commissioners, Network Commissioners, Tech Team, and All-Purpose Commissioners.
b. See Attachment A for Duties and Responsibilities of Commissioners
b. Method of selection: Students must submit a general ASB application and will have an interview with the newly elected Cabinet / Executive Board and The Advisor. Commissioners will be chosen based on answers on the applications and answers shared during the interview.
c. Qualifications of eligibility: See Article 2.
d. Term of Office: Commissioners shall hold office for one academic year.
Article 6. Probationary Period (ALL MEMBERS)
a. When poor work performance, inappropriate behavior/conduct, and/or failure to uphold the expectations noted in the ASB conduct contract, the Advisor must:
Present the member(s) with a formal letter addressing work performance, behavior/conduct, and expectations that were brought to their attention by the Council or any Faculty/Staff/Administration.
Member(s) will be placed on probation for 30 days where the Cabinet / Executive Board and The Advisor will monitor performance, behavior, and expectations logged into a Probationary Log for records.
After the probationary period is complete, The Cabinet / Executive Board and The Advisor will present the Probationary Log and a recommendation for action (reinstate or remove) to the Assistant Principal of Activities / The Principal.
The member(s) may be reinstated and taken off probation or a removal process may commence.
b. If a member drops below a 3.0, they will be placed on Academic probation where they are required to do weekly progress and grade checks. If they do not reach a 3.0 by the next grading period, they will be removed from ASB. They may re-apply the next time applications are open if they meet the critieria.
c. If a member has a record of serious disciplinary action(s) with the Dean’s Office, they will be removed from their position without a probationary period. They may only re-apply to re-join ASB with the approval of the Dean of Students / The Discipline Office.
Article 7. Removal / Vacate Office/Position
a. Any member of ASB may be removed by a two-thirds vote of his or her peers in ASB, if it can be shown that the member exhibited poor work performance, inappropriate behavior/conduct, and/or failure to uphold the expectations noted in the ASB conduct contract. (Formal letter from Advisor & Probationary Log)
b. A removal of an Officer may also be proposed by a petition signed by the students of the Taft student body (non-ASB members) equal to one-half (1/2) of the votes cast on the last election of the position/office. Submission of a petition must be within 3 weeks of when the intention was presented to the Advisor. Petitions must consist of live signatures and monitored by the ASB Advisor by checking Student IDs.
There will be a probationary period of 21 days following the presentation of the petition where the Cabinet / Executive Board and The Advisor will monitor performance, behavior, and expectations logged into a Probationary Log for records.
After the probationary period and the Probationary Log has been presented to The Assistant Principal of Activities / The Principal, the Officer presents their defence at the next Business Meeting.
c. Any Officer considered for removal shall be given a minimum of five school days to prepare a defense before a vote to move forward with the removal occurs. No one shall be unduly pressured to vote for or against the removal of a member.
d. The measure to move forward with the removal shall be decided by a two-thirds vote in favor of the removal by the Council after the member has presented their defense. If a two-thirds vote is not reached, there is no removal and members resume their position.
e. Approval from The Advisor must be obtained to decide if the removed Officer be demoted to another position in the Council or removed from the Council / Leadership.
f. The Advisor shall schedule a traditional ballot election to be held no more than fifteen (15) instructional days after the Council’s decision where any eligible student, other than the member voted to remove, can run to fill the vacated seat.
g. The newly elected student shall finish out the term of the position. The term does not extend to the following school year.
Article 8. Jurisdiction over Vacant Offices
a. Any student who drops below the required GPA shall be suspended from the office or position. Due process will be observed as related to Student Rights and Responsibilities.
b. In the event of permanent vacancies in offices:
New Cabinet positions will be appointed by The Cabinet / The Executive Board and The Advisor.
Class Officers will be re-elected by the group they represent.
Commissioners will be appointed by the Cabinet / Executive Board and the Advisor.
Article 9. Advisor
a. The Advisor will be appointed by the administration of W.H. Taft Charter High School.
Article 10. Voting
a. The legislative powers of the Associated Student Body shall be vested in the Council (Cabinet /Executive Board, Class Officers, and Commissioners) as delegated by the school administration.
b. All actions/votes of the Council are subject to review and possible veto by The Advisor and Principal / Assistant Principal of Activities
c. Each member of the Council has one vote.
d. The President is neutral for all voting. The President will act as the decision-making vote in the instance of a tie or stalemate.
Article 11. Amendments / Adoption
a. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by two-thirds majority of the Executive Board or by a petition signed by not less than thirty percent of the qualified voters of the Council and approval by the Principal and Cabinet / Executive Board.
b. Amendments may be adopted through ratification by a two-thirds majority of the Cabinet / Executive Board, provided such a proposal has been discussed in a previous Cabinet / Executive Board meeting.
c. Amendments can be adopted through ratification by a two-thirds majority of the qualified voters, provided that the written notice of such has been posted at least one week prior to voting.
d. All actions/votes of the Council are subject to review and possible veto by The Advisor and Principal / Assistant Principal of Activities
e. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by The Advisor to The Assistant Principal of Activities / The Principal for approval without two-thirds vote by the Council.
f. Once an amendment is passed, it shall take effect the following school year.
Article 12. Ratification
a. This Constitution shall take effect when ratified by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Council at a meeting called for that purpose.
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Attachment A: Duties and Responsibilities of Commissioners
The Commissioners
Commissioners are heads of their respective committees. They are responsible for selecting their committee members and overseeing duties assigned to their committees.
Event Commissioners -
Chairpeople of the committees that plan events on campus, such as, but not limited to: school dances, Homecoming Week, seasonal activities, and calling/organizing ASB workdays, etc.
Publicity Commissioners -
Chairpeople of the committee that promotes school events through: flyers, posters, announcements in the daily announcements, and assists the ASB Historian the running of social media networks, etc.
Spirit Commissioners -
Chairpeople of the committee that organizes and hosts the Fall, Winter, and Spring Spirit Rallies, all spirit week activities (to include dress-up days and activities), the organization of quad activities, holiday activities, and raising school spirit!
Student-Faculty Representatives -
Chairpeople of the committee that organizes monthly Star Student recognition and rewards, Teacher Appreciation events, promotion of all ASB events throughout the year to the faculty, and schedules class meetings and monthly school updates, etc.
Philanthropy Commissioners -
Chairpeople of the committee that runs blood drives, Kindness Week, Red Ribbon Week, Santa for Students (and other drives), Beautification Projects, organizes other community service opportunities for Taft student body, etc.
All-Purpose Commissioners -
Members of ASB that can be made Chairpeople of committees as needed throughout the year, and support all ASB members in all tasks as committee members until called to be a Chairperson.
Tech Team -
Members of ASB that organize and are in charge of all technology, social media platforms, and Toreador News.
Network Commissioners -
Chairpeople of the committee are members of ASB that are liaisons between outside organizations and other chapters of ASB within and outside of LAUSD and Taft High School, and promote all Fall, Winter, and Spring sports events to the student body, plans for/organizes the student section at all home games (and away games if possible), plans special events, selects athletes to showcase, works with Spirit Commissioners for rallies.