1. NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION 

The name of the Association shall be the Norton Teachers Association hereinafter referred to as “The Association.” 

1. OBJECTIVES 

We, the member of this Association, in order to fulfill our responsibilities to society and to our profession do hereby adopt these objectives: 

1.) To maintain and improve the quality of education for the children of the Norton Public School System 

2.) To uphold high professional standards 

3.) To promote the welfare and interests of its members 

4.) To foster the professional improvement of the membership 

III. AFFILIATION 

1. The Norton Teachers Association is affiliated with the National Education Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Bristol County Educators Association 
2. The local Association shall annually submit to the Massachusetts Teachers Association: 
3. A list of its officers and their addresses prior to July 1 
4. The names and addresses of all members on an official enrollment furnished by the Massachusetts Teachers Association 
5. A statement setting forth all amendments and changes to its by-laws during the preceding year 
6. MEMBERSHIP 
7. Active Members 
8. Active members of the Association are those who: 
9. Are engaged in work of a professional nature in the field of 

education. Excluding management personnel 

1. Pay annual dues and sign a membership card to join the 

Association 

iii. Adhere to the MTA CODE OF ETHICS as a condition of continuing membership 

1. No person shall be admitted to or continued as an active member in the Association who is not also a member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the National Education Association 
2. The membership year shall be from July 1 to June 30
3. Membership shall be continued from year to year until retirement, resignation or death 
4. Changes in continuing membership must be made in writing to the treasurer no later than September 1 of the school year in which it is to take place. If a change occurs after that date it will not go into effect until the following school year. Only active members shall have the privilege of voting and holding office in the Association 
5. Only active members shall have the privilege of participating in elections. Only those who are current active members and have been active 

members for at least the entire previous membership year may pursue holding office in the Association. 

1. Honorary Members 

Honorary membership my be conferred by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the general board present 

1. Revocation of Membership 

According to procedures adopted by the membership, the Executive Board may suspend from membership or expel any member who has been found in violation of the MTA CODE OF ETHICS 

1. THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 
2. The Executive Board shall: 
3. Consist of the President, the pre-K-5 Vice President, the 6-12 Vice President, the Education Support Personnel (ESP) Vice President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary 
4. Be the executive Authority of the Association 
5. The Powers and duties of the Executive Board 
6. The Executive Board Shall: 
7. Within policies established by the general membership, be 

responsible for the management of the Association and shall carry out the policies of the Association 

1. Report its transactions to the General Board and the general 

membership and suggest policies for consideration by them 

iii. Adopt an annual budget for the operation of the Association 

1. Establish committees and create policies governing them 
2. Whenever a majority of the Executive Board shall agree that an officer is incapacitated or has been grossly negligent in his/her duties as defined by these by-laws, it shall recommend immediately to the general membership that the office be declared vacant. If the general membership by a two thirds (⅔) majority of those voting, upholds the recommendation of the Executive Board, the

membership shall promptly elect a replacement to fill the unexpired term of the vacated office. 

1. Where a vacancy in any office other than President exists, the President shall appoint a qualified replacement for the unexpired term with the approval of the majority of members of the Executive Board present and voting. If the unexpired term is longer than eight months, a special election will be held to fill the vacancy. 
2. Where a vacancy in the office of the President exists, the Vice Presidents will serve jointly as the President of the Association until such time as a special election can be held to fill the vacancy. Such an election should take place no later than 30 calendar days after the vacancy occurs. C. Officers 
3. The Powers and Duties of the Officers 
4. Bonding-All officers of the Association shall be bonded 
5. President 
6. The President Shall 
7. Be the Chief Executive of the Association; the 

President shall authenticate by his/her signature, 

when necessary, all acts, orders, and proceedings of 

the Association and of the Executive Committee 

1. Preside over the meetings of the Executive Board, the 

General Board, and the general membership 

1. Appoint members of the standing committees and 

special committees 

1. Initiate the formation of the Negotiations Team in a 

Negotiations year 

1. Perform other functions usually attributed to this office 
2. The President may attend, as a voting delegate, the 

National Educators Association Convention. In the 

event that the President is unable to attend the 

convention, at the discretion of the Executive Board, 

an alternate will be elected by the general 

membership. 

iii. The Vice Presidents (pre-K-5, 6-12, ESP) 

1. There shall be three Vice Presidents, one representing pre-K through grade five, one representing grade six through grade 

twelve, and one representing ESPs. All Vice Presidents shall 

perform the duties which are incorporated herein. 

2. The Vice Presidents shall:
3. Coordinate faculty and ESP representation and be 

responsible for reporting to the Executive Board on 

building concerns 

1. Assume the responsibilities of the President in the 

President’s absence 

1. Serve as Chairpersons of the Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee and keep records within 

their level 

1. Attend all meetings of the Executive Board, the 

General Board, and the general membership 

1. Perform any other duties as assigned by the 

President 

1. The Treasurer 
2. The Treasurer shall: 
3. Hold the funds of the Association and disperse them in accordance with budgeted authorization 
4. Bill the membership for annual dues, collect dues in a lump sum or by payroll deductions per membership 

stipulation and transmit amounts due to the 

Massachusetts Teachers Association, the National 

Education Association, and the Bristol County 

Educators Association 

1. Maintain a roll of the members and shall compile and post an updated list of members and a list of eligible 

non-members by November 15 through the NTA 

website and by other means deemed appropriate by 

the Executive Board 

1. Keep an accurate account of receipts and 

disbursements and shall report to each meeting of the 

general membership 

1. Be responsible for preparing an annual financial 

statement for audit. This statement will be made 

available to the membership and upon completion will 

be included in the Annual Report 

1. Keep the President and the Executive Board informed of the financial condition of the Association and assist 

the Executive Board in drafting the annual budget 

1. Be in charge of transactions for Association members with a bank determined by the Executive Board
2. Be responsible for filling all required federal and state 

forms 

1. The Secretary 
2. The Secretary shall: 
3. Keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the 

Executive Board, the General Board, and general 

membership. The written minutes shall give the name 

of the organizations; the kind of meeting; the date; the 

time and place of the meeting; the disposition of 

previous minutes; business transacted; the exact 

wording of every motion; the name of the mover and 

the one who seconds every motions. The results of 

the vote, the time of adjournments; as well asl the 

date of the next meeting, if the date of the next 

meeting is known. The Secretary must date and sign 

the minutes and include his/her title. Minutes should 

be given to the Webmaster after they have been 

approved by the Executive Board. 

1. Maintain official files and assist the President with 

Association correspondence 

1. Be responsible for compiling an annual report of the 

Association which will include a list of those who 

served on the Executive and General Boards; awards 

and scholarships given; seniority and sick leave bank; 

membership lists and summaries of standing and 

special committees by June 30 

1. Post the Seniority List by November 15th 
2. Coordinate schedule of faculty representatives at 

School Committee meetings 

1. Shall be responsible for writing publicity releases for 

the local press when needed 

1. TERMS AND SUCCESSION 
2. All officers shall serve a term of one (1) year and may be re-elected ii. New officers shall take office on July 1 of each calendar year 

iii. No officer shall serve or seek to serve in more than one position on the general board except for the Web Master, who may serve in 

one (1) additional role 

VI: THE GENERAL BOARD 

1. The General Board shall consist of the Executive Board and all Faculty and ESP Representatives
2. The Faculty and ESP Representatives 
3. The Faculty and ESP Representatives shall 
4. Serve a term of one (1) year 
5. Attend a minimum of four meetings per elected year. These 

may include the regular meetings of the General Board 

meetings, general membership 

3. Attend Norton School Committee meetings as assigned on a 

rotating basis 

4. Be responsible for distributing Association communications 

to the members in his/her building, for keeping his/her 

members informed, and shall act as a liaison between the 

members in the building and the Executive Board and 

Administration 

5. Be the building’s Committee on Professional Rights and 

Responsibilities and report directly to the Vice President of 

their level 

6. Provide school building news to the Webmaster 
7. Distribute association news as instructed by the President 
8. TERMS AND SUCCESSION 
9. Buildings with 45 or more faculty members will have 3 faculty 

representatives. Buildings with fewer than 45 members will have 2 representatives 

1. Buildings with 60 or more faculty members will have 4 

representatives 

iii. If a building has a program with more than 30% of the ESPs and there is a different time schedule for the building, 1 ESP rep will be chosen from that subset 

1. All officers shall serve a term of one (1) year and may be re-elected v. New officers shall take office on July 1 of each calendar yaer 

VII: FINANCES 

1. The annual NTA dues for all active members shall be seventeen percent (17%) of MTA dues (rounded to the next highest dollar). These dues may be changed by a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote of the members present and voting at a general membership meeting. 
2. Compensation for the officers 
3. The President shall receive two thousand four hundred ($2,400) dollars and National, State, and County dues 
4. The Vice Presidents pre-K-5 and 6-12 shall receive one thousand ($1,000) dollars and National, Statel, Local, and County dues
5. ESP Vice President shall receive one thousand ($1,000) dollars and National, State, and County dues 
6. The Treasurer shall receive one thousand ($1,000) dollars and National, State, and County dues 
7. The Secretary shall receive five hundred ($500) dollars and National, State, and County dues 
8. The President may attend, as a voting delegate, the National Educators Association Convention. The disbursement for the purposes of attending the Conventions hall be the figure promulgated by the Massachusetts Teachers Association Board of Directors for its statewide delegates C. Compensation for the General Board 
9. The BCEA Representative shall receive three hundred ($300) dollars b. The Faculty Representatives shall receive Local dues plus one hundred and fifty ($150) dollars, contingent upon attending a minimum of four (4) meetings during their elected term 
10. ESP Representatives shall receive Local dues plus one hundred and fifty ($150) dollars, contingent upon attending a minimum of four (4) meetings during their elected term 
11. Other Compensation 
12. The Webmaster shall receive eight hundred ($800) dollars per year b. During negotiation years, a stipend of five hundred ($500) dollars will be paid to each the Faculty Negotiations Chairperson and the ESP Negotiations Chairperson, and two hundred ($200) dollars will be paid to each the Faculty Negotiations Secretary and the ESP Negotiations Secretary. 
13. The Association shall reimburse conference costs for up to six (6) active members who attend the Massachusetts Teachers Association Summer Conference. Active members interested in attending shall notify the President in writing by May 15th. If more than the six (6) members request reimbursement, the Executive Board shall determine which members receive reimbursement 
14. Any active member is eligible to attend as a voting delegate, the Massachusetts Teachers Association Annual Meeting. The President will ask for nominations for delegates no later than 5 school days after receiving the delegate allocation and allow at least 5 school days for nominations. Delegates will then be chosen according to the policies set forth by the Massachusetts Teachers Association. The Association shall pay for the delegates’ meals and accommodations. 
15. All of the above payments shall be made upon completion of duties in June
16. The Community Outreach Committee will be granted a budget of four hundred ($400) dollars a year to be spent at the discretion of the Chairperson. The use of this fund will be audited annually by the Executive Board. 
17. As needed, and at the President’s request, the Association will provide the President with a laptop for the purposes of managing and completing Association business. The laptop is the property of the Association 
18. The New Member Liaison shall receive five hundred ($500) dollars. They will serve as a member of the General Board. The New Member Liaison will: a. Work collaboratively with local leadership to design a campaign to sign up new members 
19. Create and distribute a Welcome Packet including updated information about the NTA 
20. Participate in welcoming new members at the Mentoring orientation d. Maintain an updated list of potential new members and communicate with building reps and EBoard in regards to signing up new members 
21. Encourage new members to participate in trainings, local and statewide campaigns, professional development, and social events offered by the Union 
22. Communicate regularly with the MTA’s New Member Committee g. Attend an initial training session and occasional meetings for New Member Liaisons 

VII: MEETINGS 

1. Executive Board Meetings 
2. The Executive Board shall meet no fewer than six (6) times a year on a schedule to be determined by the Executive Board. Three (3) members of the Executive Board may request additional meetings. A written summary shall be distributed within five (5) school days of the meeting to members 
3. The majority of their members shall be a quorum for the Executive Board c. Should an Executive Board vote result in a tie, then the question will be put forth to the General Board for a vote. Should the general board vote fail to reach a majority, then the question will be put forth to the 

membership for voting at the next General Membership meeting to be decided by a majority of members present and voting 

1. General Board Meetings 
2. There will be three (3) General Board meeting called by the President or at the request of a minimum of five (5) General Board members 
3. The majority of their members shall be a quorum of the General Board C. General Membership Meetings 
4. There shall be at least two (2) general membership meetings each year, the scheduling of which shall be determined by the Executive Board
5. Meetings shall be announced at least one (1) week prior to the meeting date 
6. A quorum for the general membership meetings shall be twenty percent (20%) of the members 
7. The Executive Board shall prepare a tentative agenda for each meeting and shall circulate it to all members so that members shall have time to discuss the agenda prior to the meeting 
8. Minutes shall be distributed to the membership within five (5) school days of the meeting 
9. Special Meetings 
10. Special Meetings of the general membership may be held at the call of the President or upon the written request to the Executive Board from five percent (5%) of the active members. 
11. Business to come before special meetings must be stated in the call which shall be circulated to each member 
12. Business shall be confined to these matters stated in the call 
13. Ratification of Contract Meeting 
14. New contract language must be distributed to the membership in writing no less than one week prior to ratification 
15. Members who are unable to attend the ratification meeting may request an absentee ballot from the Chairperson of the Negotiation Team 

VIII: COMMITTEES AND APPOINTED POSITIONS 

1. Committee members shall be selected to represent different groups within the Association and shall be appointed for one term 
2. Each committee, with the approval of the Executive Board, may organize from the membership of the Association special subcommittees and task forces for specific activities 
3. The President may appoint a past president to serve in an advisory role to the Executive Board 
4. There shall be the following standing committees and appointed positions having the specific functions outlined below: 
5. Committee on Professional Rights and Responsibilities 
6. The Vice Presidents shall serve as Chairpersons of the Committee on Professional Rights and Responsibilities (hereinafter called 

PR&R) within their level 

1. Faculty and ESP Representatives within each building shall serve as the Committee on Professional Rights and Responsibilities and represent members at the initial level of a grievance. Faculty and 

ESP Representatives will keep the level Vice Presidents aware of 

grievances and concerns of members within each building

iii. Written records of all grievances shall be filed in Association 

permanent 

1. The Committee on PR &R shall compile data in support of their position on a grievance 
2. The Committee on PR & R shall advise the general membership on implementation procedures for the MTA CODE OF ETHICS 
3. The Committee on PR & R shall make recommendations to the Executive Board in cases of possible censure, suspension, or 

expulsion of members 

vii. Results of all actions by the PR & R Committee shall be forwarded to the President annually 

1. The Faculty Sick Leave Bank Committee 

The sick leave bank shall be administered by a Sick Leave Bank 

Committee of five (5) persons, three (3) appointed by the Association (combination of teacher and paraprofessionals) and two (2) by the district 

1. The ESP Sick Leave Bank Committee 

The ESP Sick Leave Bank Committee shall consist of two representatives appointed by the President (refer to Contract Article XXVII) 

1. The Nominations and Election Committee 
2. The Nominations and Election Committee shall consist of five (5) active Association members appointed by the President. No 

member of the Executive Board can serve on Committee 

1. The nominations and election procedure for the candidates seeking office shall be determined by the Nominations and Elections 

Committee 

iii. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for securing candidates for each of the elective offices 

1. Candidates for elective office will have the option to submit a statement in support for their candidacy. The names of candidates and any statements submitted will be distributed to the members no later than one (1) calendar week prior to the date of the election. 
2. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for conducting annual elections and for meeting the requirements of 

special elections 

1. All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot within each school vii. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. If more than two candidates seek an office and no candidate 

receives a majority of votes cast, the election committee will hold a runoff election for the two candidates who received the highest

number of votes. Said election will be held no sooner than 7 school days later, and no more than 21 school days later 

viii. Members will vote only for faculty representatives or ESP representatives in their own building. For the position of Vice President, faculty members will only vote for the Vice President candidate that represents their building and level where they hold the majority of their responsibilities. ESP members will only vote for ESP Vice President 

1. The annual elections of the Executive Board, BCEA 

Representative, and Faculty Representatives shall be conducted between April 1 and June 1 

1. The annual election of the ESP building representatives shall take place between September 15 and October 10 
2. The Nominations and Elections Committee is responsible for the tabulation and public accounting of any votes taken by 

membership. They will notify the Association members of the election results within one (1) week of the elections 

1. The Faculty Negotiation Team 
2. The negotiation team shall consist of active members of the Association and shall consist of 13 members. The Executive Board will ask for elections to be held to select 10 members. There shall be one faculty and one ESP member in each building in the district on the team. The remaining 3 members will be selected by the Executive Board. If there are no candidates from a building, the Executive Board may select another NTA member to fill the position. The President may also serve as a voting member of the Negotiation Team. The President may appoint an active NTA member to serve as an “ex officio” member of the Negotiations Team, if it is decided that a group requires specific representation on an “as needed” basis. 
3. The Executive Board shall notify the members of the Committee interested in the positions of Faculty Chairperson, ESP 

Chairperson, and Secretary may submit their names in writing. One Faculty Chairperson, one ESP Chairperson and one Secretary shall be elected by the majority vote of the Executive Board. The Chairpeople will be responsible for calling meetings, running meetings, and setting the agenda. The Secretary will keep official minutes of all meetings. These minutes shall be forwarded to the President upon request during negotiations and upon the 

completion of negotiations

iii. The Faculty Negotiation Team shall solicit written suggestions from the general membership and prepare proposals to be presented to the School Committee 

1. The Faculty Negotiation Team shall conduct an informational meeting for the general membership to review proposals prior to presentation to the School Committee 
2. Upon reaching tentative agreement on all matters under negotiation, the Negotiation Team shall prepare and submit its report and recommendations to the general membership prior to a scheduled meeting for ratification 
3. The Scholarship Committee 
4. Three members will be appointed to the Scholarship Committee by the President 
5. The Scholarship Committee shall have the responsibility of developing guidelines on an annual basis for the disbursement of scholarship funds raised by the 20 week club and/or other activities g. Community Outreach Committee 
6. The Community Outreach Committee shall consist of volunteer active members of the Association and a Chairperson appointed by the President 
7. The Community Outreach Committee shall have the responsibility of identifying opportunities for teachers to support the community iii. The Community Outreach Committee shall plan and organize activities that demonstrate the Association’s support in the community 
8. The Community Outreach Committee shall promote good public relations for the Association 
9. Special Committees 
10. Each year the Executive Board may establish such other committees as may be necessary and shall discharge them upon completion of their duties 
11. Webmaster 
12. The Webmaster shall 
13. Be responsible for updating the NTA website on a regular basis at the direction of the members of the Executive Board 2. Work with the Executive Board and the General Board to develop guidelines and links that members may use to 

access information regarding educational, association, and personal business

3. Shall be responsible for producing a bi-monthly newsletter 

during the school year: September, November, January, 

March, and the end of May 

4. Shall be responsible for maintaining an accurate database of 

member’s email addresses 

5. Is an appointed member of the General Board 

IX: RULES AND REGULATIONS 

1. Robert’s Rules of Order as updated and revised shall be the authority of the Association 
2. The President may appoint a parliamentarian who shall attend all general membership meetings of the Association 
3. The membership and business year shall be July 1 to June 30 each year X: THE AMENDMENT PROCESS 
4. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the members present and voting at any regular meeting of the Association, provided that copies of the proposed amendments have been sent to all members of the Association at least two (2) calendar weeks in advance of the general membership meeting 
5. These bylaws should be reviewed at least once every three (3) years for the purpose of updating them 

THESE BYLAWS WERE LAST REVISED AND AMENDED AND RATIFIED: Amended by vote on January 5, 2024. 

Bylaws committee: Joe Spremulli (chair), Diann Crugnale, Jennifer Farley, Shannon Taylor, Christopher Maloof, and Liza Grasso.