NEA RA delegates to be elected by mail
S tatewide, regional and retired delegates from Massachusetts to the 2016 NEA Representative
Assembly will be elected by mail ballot
in March and April.
The nomination period for
delegates is now in process and will
close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016.
The nomination form is on Page 18 of
this issue of MTA Today.
The election period runs from
March 7 through April 22, 2016.
Ballots for statewide and regional
delegates will be mailed to eligible
active MTA/NEA members and will
be accompanied by bio/statements
and photos of candidates who submit
them.
Retired delegate ballots and bio/
statements will be mailed only to
retired and retired life NEA members.
The distribution of statewide and
regional seats will be voted on by the
MTA Board of Directors at its meeting
on Jan. 30; candidates will be informed
of the final allocation plan and will
be given an opportunity to alter the
designation for the level they seek to
represent.
The MTA will be notified by the
NEA in February of the number of
delegates allocated to Massachusetts.
The allocation of statewide and
regional delegates will be based on
electoral regions A, B, C, D, E, F,
G and H. A list of local associations
by electoral region is available upon
request.
Tentative dates for the RA are
July 2 through July 7, and travel
dates are July 1 and July 8. The RA
will take place in Washington, D.C.
The statewide, regional and retired
delegates from Massachusetts will
attend, in addition to delegates elected
by local associations.
The Credentials and Ballot
Committee has adopted procedures
for the election that call for ballots
and other material to be sent
directly to each NEA member in
Massachusetts in a self-mailer that
bears the notice: “Important: Ballots
Enclosed.” Ballots will be returned
directly to the Credentials and Ballot
Committee, and data from the returns
will be tabulated and counted at MTA
headquarters under the supervision of
the Credentials and Ballot Committee.
There will be a $1,200 stipend for
statewide, regional, retired and student
delegates.
Elected delegates are expected
to comply with the accountability
requirements set forth by the MTA.
Funding will not be provided unless
accountability requirements are met.
The policy procedure for the
election of MTA Delegates to the
RA should be reviewed carefully by
anyone considering candidacy.
The policy procedure for the
election of retired delegates is
available upon request.
It states that this election “shall be
subject to all restrictions, procedures,
and deadlines set forth by the NEA
guidelines and MTA’s statewide and
regional election process.”
Inquiries concerning procedures
for the nomination and election of
NEA delegates may be addressed to
John Connelly in the MTA Division
of Governance and Administration
at 617.878.8305. His fax number is
617.570.4908, and his e-mail address
is jconnelly@massteacher.org.
Regional ethnic minority delegates to be chosen
R egional ethnic minority delegates to the 2016 MTA Annual Meeting will be
elected by mail ballot in March
and April in conjunction with NEA
delegate/Director elections.
The nomination period for
regional ethnic minority delegates
is now in process and will close
at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016.
Nominations are open to all eligible
ethnic minority members through a
self-nomination process.
The nomination form appears on
Page 18 of this issue of MTA Today.
Regional ethnic minority delegates
will be elected by mail ballots
forwarded in the same self-mailer as
the NEA ballots.
The election period runs from
March 7 through April 22, 2016.
Ballots for regional ethnic minority
delegates will be mailed to active
MTA members, accompanied by bio/
statements and photos of candidates
who submit them.
The 2016 allocation of regional
ethnic minority delegates will be based
on MTA electoral regions and equal
to the number of District Directors
from each region. No more than one
delegate from each district within
a region will be elected, with the
exception of 44H, which has three
Directors.
There will be 49 vacancies for
regional ethnic minority delegates. All
terms will be for one year.
The regional vacancies are:
Region A, seven vacancies; Region
B, five vacancies; Region C, seven
vacancies; Region D, five vacancies;
Region E, five vacancies; Region F, six
vacancies; Region G, six vacancies;
and Region H, eight vacancies. Each
candidate must be employed in
education within the region in which
the candidate seeks office.
Inquiries regarding procedures
may be directed to John Connelly
in the MTA Division of Governance
and Administration at 617.878.8305.
His e-mail address is jconnelly@
massteacher.org, and his fax number
is 617.570.4908.
Bylaws and Rules Committee now accepting proposals
T he MTA Bylaws and Rules Committee will soon begin reviewing proposed
amendments.
A proposal to amend the
Bylaws addresses the governance
of the association or the primary
characteristics and functions of
the MTA. A proposal to amend
the Standing Rules addresses the
procedures of the Annual Meeting of
Delegates, nominations and elections
or governance documents.
Filing process and deadline:
Proposed changes to the Bylaws must
be received in writing by the MTA
Bylaws and Rules Committee by 5
p.m. on Jan. 8, 2016.
Proposed changes to the Standing
Rules only may be submitted in
writing to the MTA Bylaws and Rules
Committee up to the opening of the
first business session of the May 13-14
Annual Meeting in Boston.
However, early submission by the
Jan. 8 deadline provides an opportunity
for a full hearing by the committee, by
the Board of Directors and at the April
preconvention meetings.
It also allows advance publication
in the Spring issue of MTA Today.
Submitters will be informed of
hearing dates and will be expected to
meet with the committee to discuss the
language and intent of their proposals.
Proper format: Please use the
following format for each proposed
amendment.
1. Specifically cite all articles,
sections and lines of the Bylaws or
Standing Rules that are to be changed
or affected.
2. Set forth your proposal in two
columns, comparing the proposed
text opposite the present text. In
the proposed language, underline
amended or added language. Enclose
in parentheses language to be deleted.
Indicate the location of completely
new language.
3. Accompany each proposed
amendment with a written rationale on
its purpose, impact and intent.
4. Include at the end of all
proposals the submitter’s name and
local association information.
5. Provide your full name,
address, telephone number(s), fax
number(s), e-mail address or addresses
