The purpose of this page is to help BH-BL Teachers Association members understand what the TA is and how it functions. We believe that if we can increase understanding of how the TA works, it will be easier for all members to get involved and help the Association be the best organization it can be.

Executive Board and Representative Council

The Executive Board is composed of the TA President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, the previous TA President, and the five Building Presidents. Executive Board is the core leadership body of the Association. The Board meets every two months during the academic school year and once during the summer to discuss important issues facing the Association.

Representative Council (Rep Council) is composed of the Executive Board plus the Chief Negotiator, all District Committee Chairs, and Building Vice Presidents and Faculty Reps. This larger body meets once a month to share and discuss information, plan, and to pass legislation (when needed).

Leadership Job Descriptions

Like any other organization, the Teachers Association needs leaders -- individuals who set priorities, determine goals, and then organize themselves and others to accomplish those goals. The Bylaws state the official duties of each position. Below are more detailed descriptions for each of the TA leadership positions. If you are interested in any of these positions and would like more information, you should go to your Building President to talk with him or her about the position.

Teachers Association President

Legally, the responsibilities of the TA are to negotiate and protect the contract and to represent any teachers in need of individual assistance. The main responsibilities of the President are to see that these two tasks are carried out. In addition, the BH-BL TA President must:

• serve as the official spokesperson of the TA
• attend (or arranges for another TA leader to attend) all Board of Education (BOE) meetings
• meet regularly with the Superintendent
• chair Executive Board
• co-chair District Communications Council with the Superintendent
• communicate with the Association concerning important and timely issues
• recruit and appoint teacher representatives to Administrative Hiring and Board-appointed committees
• use NYSUT resources to help gather information on Admin. candidates to inform the teachers on the selection committees
• chair Professional Council, presenting the researched teacher viewpoint on current issues or budgets
• write letters of tribute for all TA retirees
• carry out the decisions of Representative Council with regard to the District budget and BOE elections
• maintain a list of teachers interested in serving on teacher hiring committees and as new teacher mentors
• initiate activities for new teachers (e.g., Dinner in Oct., recognition at Crossroads event in June)
• Meet with second- and third-year, non-tenured teachers in each building.
• attempt to represent the TA proactively concerning issues that affect teacher working conditions and the effectiveness of instruction in the BH-BL District.

Teachers Association Vice President

• Send a meeting announcement (with date, place and time) to TA members prior to Rep. Council meetings each month.
• Run the monthly Rep. Council meetings in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
• Meet with second- and third-year, non-tenured teachers.

Teachers Association Treasurer

• Attend New Teacher Orientation in August
  • Explain TA dues and answer any questions
  • Have new teachers fill out a NYSUT Membership Enrollment card
  • Mail new enrollment cards to NYSUT
• Prepare and present TA financial statement each month at Rep. Council meetings
• Prepare annual budget proposal for consideration by Exec. Board
• Maintain a current list of TA members.
• Pay Association bills
• Pay honoraria twice a year (Jan 1 and June 1)
• Attend NYSUT Treasurer workshops
• Provide leadership with W4 forms
• Complete yearly tax forms and file with IRS

Teachers Association Secretary (Chief Information Officer)

The job of the Secretary is to acquire, analyze, organize, and distribute information. At present, this includes the following activities:

• Collect reports and generate the agenda for Rep Council meetings.
• Send the Rep Council agenda to the TA mail list the Monday before the meeting.
• Recording the minutes of the monthly Representative Council meeting.
• Publishing the Representative Council meeting minutes in three forms:
  • As a hard copy (copies are sent to each building for distribution)
  • As an e-mail attachment (a Word document)
  • As a web page (a Google Doc)
• Maintaining the TA archives. The archives have two components:
  • Physical -- A set of binders with the Rep. Council minutes and related documents.
  • Digital -- Electronic files are maintained via a Google Docs account and a Dropboks account.
• Maintain a supply of goldenrod paper.
  • Most of the paper will be stored at the Administration Building where Rep. Council minutes are copied.
  • Some paper is stored in each building (mainly used by the TA President, Building Presidents, and the Chief Negotiator).
• Maintaining the TA website
  • Post meeting minutes from all District and Building committees.
  • Post relevant news.
  • Create and post educational materials (like the page you are reading right now).
• Facilitate the collection of information from members (e.g., the Heat Survey in June 2008)
• Maintain a current list of TA members (sortable by Building, Seniority, Tenure status, Subject/Grade).
• Acquire and maintain a list of new (non-tenured) TA members (sorted by building).
• Chair the Membership Working Group

Building President

• Co-chair Planning (building) Council
  • Meet with the building Principal to establish monthly council agendas
  • Record and distribute minutes for building council meetings
• Call and organize Building Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings when necessary
• Inform and support new teachers by providing information from or about the Teachers Association
  • Seek out and have a short "How are things going?" discussion with first-year teachers at least once per quarter.
  • Seek out and have a short "How are things going?" discussion with second- and third-year non-tenured teachers at least twice each year.
• Attend and report at all TA Executive Board and Rep Council meetings
  • When Rep Council meetings are held in your building (twice yearly), provide refreshments.
    • Submit receipt to Treasurer for reimbursement.
    • Refreshments typically consist of drinks and light snacks for 15-20 people.
• Attend District Communication Council meetings (3 times per year)
• Communicate with building reps on district committees
• Schedule building TA meetings when necessary
• Address building and individual teacher concerns
• Aide TA members in contract interpretation
• Attend Fall Celebration and Crossroads Celebration as building representative.
• Serve as the representative for teachers involved in a Professional Improvement Plan (P.I.P.) process. Maintain confidentiality throughout this process.
• Maintain a current copy of the Board Policy book.
• Establish the following year's building leadership roster and forward to the TA Secretary.
• Participate on building and district committees where the Building President's perspective is crucial.
• Obtain building TA representatives for district and building committees.

Building Vice President

• To assist the building president in any assigned duty.
• Represent the building when the president when the building president is absent.

Building Faculty Representative

• Attend Rep. Council meetings.

Chief Negotiator

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").

Negotiating Team Member

•  Work with the Chief Negotiator and other team members on contract negotiations
  

Grievance Chair

• The Grievance chairperson is responsible for supporting TA members who feel their contractual and/or policy rights have been violated. The chairperson must adhere to the grievance time line as outlined in the BH-BL TA contract. Possible actions include meeting with teacher(s) involved, with TA executive board, with administration, with representatives from NYSUT, writing an official grievance and responding to district rebuttal, if necessary.
• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").

Health and Safety Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").
• Co-create meeting agendas (with the Administration-appointed co-chair).
• Send meeting agendas to the Teachers Association e-mail list.
• Ensure that meeting minutes are recorded.
• Send meeting minutes to the Teachers Association e-mail list and to the TA CIO (to be posted on the TA website)
• Solicit input from the membership via the Building Reps.

Insurance Committee Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").
• Assist Exec Board and Negotiating Team in gathering insurance-related information.
• Assist individual members when insurance-related questions arise.

Legislative Committee Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").

New Teacher/Celebration Committee Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").
• Run New Teacher/Celebration committee meetings. Committee should be made up of one TA member from each of the 5 schools.
• Attend and report at monthly Rep Council meetings.
• Distribute NYSUT/BHBL TA material to new teachers. NYSUT materials are mailed to chairperson's home over summer (distributed in the Fall). BHBL TA material includes things like the TA constitution.
• Organize, plan and run New Teacher Fall Event. This includes, but is not limited to, booking location, getting hor d'oeuvres, cake, new teacher gifts, etc. as well as sending out invitations to all members via committee reps.
• Organize Crossroads Celebration each Spring. This includes, but is not limited to, booking location, sending out invitations to all members via committee reps, and purchasing gifts for new teachers, newly tenured teachers, and retirees.
• Participate in the Membership Working Group

Professional Growth Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").

Public Relations Committee Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").
• Encourage Flag Day participation.
• Participate in the Membership Working Group

Scholarship Committee Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").
• Create and coordinate efforts to raise funds for annual TA scholarships.
  • Three $1000 scholarships are awarded each May.
  • Previous and current fundraisers are:
    • dressdown paydays
    • 50/50 bucket
    • snack stand
    • individual donations
• Collect all money and give to Treasurer to deposit.
• Get scholarship application to Guidance Department by April.
• Distribute list of scholarship applicants to High School TA members.
• Tabulate votes to identify scholarship recipients (announce winners at May Rep Council).

Technology Committee Chair

• Send monthly Rep Council report to the TA Secretary one week before the monthly Rep Council meeting (if there is no report, send "No Report").
• Co-create meeting agendas (with the Administration-appointed co-chair).
• Send meeting agendas to the Teachers Association e-mail list.
• Ensure that meeting minutes are recorded.
• Send meeting minutes to the Teachers Association e-mail list and to the TA CIO (to be posted on the TA website)
• Solicit input from the membership via the Building Reps.

Teachers Association Delegate

• Attend NYSUT Representative Assembly
• Attend and report on local Election District meetings