As reported in the fall newsletter, a constitutional change regarding membership has been proposed. The wording of the proposal is as follows:
Any Council of Chief State School Officer (CCSSO) Teacher of the Year or recognized CCSSO state finalist from 1952 forward shall be eligible for membership in the National State Teachers of the Year organization.
This proposal would extend membership beyond the current criterion of State Teacher of the Year award recipients to include finalists for the honor in each state. As such, it would require amending the constitution of NSTOY.
The proposal is a work in progress that will be presented for consideration and discussion at the upcoming conference in Maine. The proposal may be voted upon during that conference or may go to a committee for further study. Because this issue will have a significant impact upon the organization, it is important that all factors, procedures, and implications of such a change be examined and evaluated before a decision is made.
It is also essential that the decision be made only by members who are currently active (with paid, lifetime, or honorary status). According to the NSTOY Constitution, only members who are actually in attendance at the conference will be eligible to vote if the proposal is brought to a vote.
With such an important and sensitive issue, it is vital that all active members be given an opportunity to provide input, even if they are not able to attend the conference.
Therefore, members who are currently active (with paid, lifetime, or honorary status) are invited to express their opinions on the proposal. Members are asked to submit their opinions in writing to:
Peggy Tordoff
608 Holiday Circle
Pineville, LA 71360
jtordoff@suddenlink.net
(or)
Art Peekel
322 W. Palatine Road
Palatine, IL 60067
a_peekel@yahoo.com
by May 1, 2009.
Written statements of opinion, along with the names of corresponding active members, will be compiled into a document and presented to conference attendees for their consideration. Active members who have not yet done so are encouraged to express their opinions in writing concerning this proposal.
In order to assist members in evaluating the issue, the following is a brief summary of the pros and cons of this proposal as previously expressed in the fall newsletter:
PRO:
