Florida Council of Administrators of Special Education
Constitution and By-Laws

 

Article I

Name

The name of the organization shall be:
Florida Council of Administrators of Special Education

 

Article II

Mission

The mission of the Florida Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc. is to provide leadership and support to members by shaping policies and practices which impact the quality of education for students eligible for exceptional student education.

 

Article III

Purpose

The primary purpose of this organization is as follows:

1. To promote proactive leadership in the development and improvement of quality educational services for students eligible for exceptional student education;

2. To examine and encourage active participation of special education issues in order to promote and advance special education interests;

3. To foster a spirit of cooperation between those responsible for special and general education for all students;

4. To provide professional development opportunities that build competencies for new members and extend skills of experienced members;

5. To engage in programs and activities that align with the forgoing purposes and are deemed appropriate and are authorized by the Board;

6. To advocate for adequate funding of exceptional student education initiatives;

7. To provide opportunity for discussion of problems common to its members with the intent of improving services for students eligible for exceptional student education.

 

Article IV

Membership

Membership is open to persons who administer, direct, supervise, facilitate, and or coordinate a program, school, or classes of students eligible for exceptional student education; Florida Department of Education and other agency personnel responsible for the provision of exceptional student education; college faculty whose major responsibility is the professional preparation of special education personnel; or, persons who have retired from full-time responsibilities as an administrator in any of the preceding categories. Membership can exist at two levels:

1. National Membership- Membership is automatic for active members of the National Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE). National CEC and National CASE determine annual subscription fees and benefits.

 

Article V

Officers/Board of Directors

1. General Powers - The property and affairs of the Florida Council of Administrators of Special Education Board of Directors shall have supervision and direction of the affairs of the organization and its committees; shall determine its policies or changes therein; shall actively execute its objectives and supervise the disbursement of its funds.

2. Election - The Officers/Board of Directors shall consist of ten (10) members as follows: President, President Elect, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chairperson, Professional Development Chairperson, Legislative/Bylaws Chairperson, and two members at large. Each term of office shall be two (2) years and shall coincide with the fiscal year, July 1- June 30. All officers of the Board must be National CEC/CASE members in good standing. Members eligible to be elected to positions on the Board of Directors must be Director , Supervisor, Administrator of Special Education Program. Retired board members will continue to serve on the board. Members of CASE who are employed in any position that may be a conflict of interest are not eligible to be elected or serve on the board. A potential for conflict of interest occurs when a member of the Board should become employed as a vendor or private entity during the tenure of their office, for which they obtain a for profit status. They will no longer be eligible to hold that said position on the Board due to a conflict of interest.

3. Election of Officers/Board of Directors - Members in good standing shall vote to elect the Officers/Directors of the organization. Current CASE members may make nominations from the floor at the Summer CASE Institute or via email.
   In order to be considered for election to President-Elect and Treasurer, the candidate seeking that office must have served on the CASE Board at least 1 term and fulfilled all their roles and responsibilities during that term in another capacity to have an understanding of the inner workings of the board. In the likely event no one on the board wishes to run for any of those positions, CASE members may be eligible to run for those positions with demonstrated knowledge in the area being sought, either through job related experience or working on other professional boards in similar roles.

4. Re-Election - No member of the Officers/Board of Directors who has served a total of four (4) or more years will be eligible for re-election to the same position. The four-year term limitation will be waived if the Board states in writing that a replacement is not available. If a Board member is completing an unfulfilled term, that time does not count toward the term limit.

5. Board Meetings - The Board shall meet at least four times annually and at such other times as deemed necessary by the President. The Board may hold meetings by means available through distance communication systems.

6. Quorum - A majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board. A quorum of the Board will consist of 50% of the Board membership plus one (1).

7. Resignation - Any Board member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the President thirty (30) calendar days prior to resignation.

8. Vacancies - If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the President-Elect shall serve as acting President for the remainder of the term of office and shall become President at the beginning of the new term. A vacancy occurring in the office of President-Elect shall be filled by an appointment of the Board of Directors for a member to complete the term of office. Nomination and election of a President-elect shall be held at the following election. A vacancy occurring in other Board positions shall be filled by an appointment of the President, with the approval of the Board, for a member to complete the term of office.

9. Travel Expenses - Travel expenses of Officers/Board of Directors for associated conferences, meetings, or activities representing the organization will be reimbursed for hotel, registration, and other related expenditures including per diem at the current state rate as approved by a vote of the Officers/Board of Directors. Other related expenses includes round trip ground transportation whichever is most cost effective (shuttle, taxi, Uber, Lyft) to the hotel/conference site, airport parking for out-of-state travel.

 

Article VI

Duties of Officers/Board of Directors

1. President: The success of the organization will be measured by the participation and cooperation secured from officers, committees and members.

   1. Preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors.

   2. Call and conduct a minimum of four (4) Board Meetings.

   3. Prepare an agenda for each meeting and distribute it in advance to the Board.

   4. Consult with officers and committee chairpersons prior to each meeting to ensure all details of the meeting are ready as planned.

   5. Represent the organization at the local, state, and national level.

   6. Appoint and supervise committee chairs, subject to the approval of the Board.

   7. Oversee the coordination and completion of the Annual Unit Report and the Strategic Plan.

   8. Promote leadership skills within the organization and encourage the utilization of board members leadership potentials.

2. President-elect:

   1. Serve in the President's place and with the president's authority in the case of the President's absence.

   2. Work closely with the President.

   3. Assume responsibilities as delegated by the President.

   4. Keep current on all decisions and activities.

   5. Coordinate and ensure that the Annual Unit Report and the Strategic Plan are complete in collaboration with the President.

   6. Shall be responsible for all committees

3. Past President:

   1. Advise Officers/Board of Directors regarding issues or past practices.

   2. Assume other specific duties as determined by the President.

4. Secretary:

   1. Keep accurate minutes of all meetings and post on our Florida CASE website for review by all members.

   2. Conduct all written correspondence.

   3. Maintain a copy of the constitution and bylaws, and all Board minutes.

   4. Provide copies of the constitution and by-laws to Board members annually.

   5. Carry out any additional duties as assigned by the President.

5. Treasurer:

   1. Be custodian of the funds of the organization.

   2. Disburse money for expenses incurred.

   3. Submit a treasurer's report at all Board meetings.

6. Membership Chairperson:

   1. Maintain an active record of members and provide all Board members with such a list.

   2. Maintain an active program for the recruitment of new members.

   3. Increase awareness for the organization.

7. Legislative and By-Law Chairperson

   1. Co-chair of CEES Legislative Meeting.

   2. Develop and recommend timely statements of CASE legislation and regulatory concerns.

   3. Collect legislative and regulatory information to disseminate to members related to issues and concerns to special education administrators.

8. Professional Development Chairperson

   1. Promote member participation in professional development and other activities related to CASE.

   2. Coordinate professional development activities.

9. Member at Large

   1. Procurement of vendors

   2. Assist with newsletter (reviewing, editing, content, etc.) a minimum of four (4) per fiscal year

   3. Landis Stetler Scholarship

   4. Ensure the website is current

   5. Oversee on-site registration for conferences

   6. Provide other services as determined by Officers/Board of Directors

Florida CASE Board of Directors must fulfill the functions of said office, as listed above, in a timely manner. Should any officer not fulfill the functions of said office, the following procedures will be implemented: If an active role is not taken by the individual after the President has provided a review of responsibilities, the Board will replace the individual by providing a notice in writing.

• A petition for removal of a CASE Board member shall be made by at least five (5) members of the Board by submitting this to the President.

• >If the President is the subject of the petition, it shall be submitted to the President Elect.

• >Such a petition shall indicate the problems and indicate why the person should be removed from office.

• >The President (or President Elect) in conjunction with at least one additional member of the Board shall contact the person in question and shall establish a date to review the situation with this person.

• >At the time of the review, an outline and timeline should be developed listing any necessary corrective actions the person must take to fulfill the duties of his/her elected office.

• >If the corrective action is successful, the Board member will remain in office.

• >If, after the time of probation, which is determined by the President and Board designee, the person is not fulfilling the duties, the President (President Elect) will present the matter in writing to the Board. A majority vote of the Board members will be required to proceed with the immediate removal from office. The membership will be notified of the final action.

 

Article VII

Parliamentary Authority

Robert's Rules of Order (or any comparable system, i.e. Facilitative Leadership, etc.) shall govern all official procedures of the organization.

 

Article VIII

Amendments

A proposal to alter, amend, or repeal these Bylaws shall be approved by members of the Board of Directors. Voting can take place at a Board or Business meeting or by electronic vote.

 

Article IX

Duration and Dissolution

The duration of the subdivision shall be perpetual unless the offices of the subdivision unanimously determine that it should be dissolved. Upon the dissolution and final liquidation of the subdivision, the officers shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all debts and liabilities of the subdivision, disburse funds to National CASE.

Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction in the county or city in which the principal office of the subdivision is located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes, or to the federal government or a state or local government to be used for a public purpose.

 

Article X

Confidentiality Is a Fiduciary Responsibility

Fiduciary responsibilities mean that board members are not to disclose or discuss confidential information about the organization's matters with unauthorized individuals or individuals that were not serving in such capacity if it would harm the organization, its business relationships or an individual. This policy is not intended to prevent disclosure where disclosure is required by law.

 

Article X

Approval

The Undersigned, being the current elected Executive Board of Florida Council of Administrators of Special Education, hereby adopt and approve the By-Laws and Constitution for the organization.