reduced rate, to participate in all surveys and questions presented to the G- CASE membership, to receive the G-CASE newsletters and other G-CASE resources, to serve on, but not chair, G-CASE committees, and to vote in G-CASE elections. G-CASE ONLY members are not allowed to serve on the Advisory or Executive Boards or to run for a G-CASE office. All G-CASE members are encouraged to become Regular or Professional Members.

Section 4. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP shall be available to those persons employed by public and private institutions of higher learning, Georgia Department of Education staff, attorneys, and other members of learned professions who are interested in the administration of programs or services for exceptional children, but who are not otherwise eligible for active Regular Membership. Associate Members may attend all division meetings and receive all communications sent to the membership; however, Associates are nonvoting and may neither hold elective office nor serve as committee chairpersons. Associate members are eligible to serve on committees. The cost of an Associate Membership shall be the same as G-CASE Only Membership.

Section 5. RETIRED MEMBERSHIP shall be available to a person who has completely retired from their responsibilities and is no longer eligible for Regular Membership but shall retain all the privileges of active Regular Membership except that of holding elected office unless the person has been elected before the changing of status from active to retired. Retired Members are eligible to serve on committees. The cost of a Retired membership shall be the same as G-CASE Only Membership.

Section 6. INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP shall be available to individuals who hold or are seeking a position in educational leadership. Institutional membership entitles the member to support services targeted to all of Georgia's educational leaders through memberships in both GAEL and G-CASE based on current fees.

Section 7. CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP shall be available to sponsors, exhibitors, and vendors who desire to keep a presence with G-CASE and to receive G-CASE communications such as newsletters, notices of conferences, etc.

Section 8. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP shall be available as a gift to all Past-Presidents of G-CASE. As a result, no Past-President of G-CASE will ever need to pay a G-CASE Membership fee during their affiliation with G-CASE.

Section 9. SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER LEADER MEMBERSHIP shall be given complimentary to all teachers participating in the Special Education Administrator Development Academy. This one-year complimentary membership allows them a reduced rate at one-day or Drive-In conferences and access to all G-CASE communications and webinars. Members at this level are not eligible to hold office or serve as committee chairpersons.

Section 10. MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY shall be determined by the G-CASE Executive Committee of the Executive Board as the final authority should individual questions occur.

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Section 11. The Membership Year for CEC/CASE shall be for one year beginning the month that CASE/CEC receives the individual's membership payments. The G-CASE and GAEL membership years are from July 1 through June 30.

Article IV – Fees

Section 1. The Executive Board shall recommend and communicate the amount of membership fees at a G-CASE general business meeting. The amount of G-CASE fees shall be subject to the approval of members at the general business meeting. Membership fees are due at appropriate times to maintain current membership in G-CASE and shall be updated in the Program of Work.

Article V – Officers

Section 1. CONDITIONS OF OFFICE

(a) Executive and Advisory Board members must be members in good standing of G-CASE (at the Regular Membership level), CASE, and CEC at the time of nomination and election and remain so throughout the term of office.

(b) G-CASE shall provide the elected officers (see Section 2, this article), as selected by systematic and democratic procedures, with the appropriate authority to function in their offices, as described below.

(c) Should any officer not fulfill the functions of said office, the following procedures will be implemented:

1. A petition for removal of a G-CASE officer shall be made by at least five (5) members of the G-CASE Executive Board by submitting this petition to the President. If the President is the subject of the petition, the petition should be submitted to the President-Elect. Such a petition shall indicate the problems or concerns and why the person in question should be removed from office.

2. The President (or President-Elect) in conjunction with at least two (2) other members of the Executive Board shall contact the person in question and establish a date to review the situation with this person. On that date, the person in question will be notified in writing that they are "on probation" as an officer.

3. At the time of the meeting, an outline should be developed listing the necessary corrective actions the person in question must take to fulfill the duties of their elected position.

4. If corrective action is successful, the matter will be dropped, the probation will be ended by written notification, and the person will remain in office.

5. If, after the time of probation, the person is not fulfilling the duties, the President (or President- Elect) will present this matter, in writing, to the Executive Board.

6. The Executive Board will present written notice of removal or recall to the person in question. The person will have thirty (30) days to submit to the President (or President-Elect) a written notice of appeal.

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7. Upon receipt of the appeal, the President (or President-Elect) will turn the written appeal over to an Appeal Board. The Appeal Board shall be appointed by the President (or President-Elect) and be composed of five (5) persons who are official members of the G-CASE organization.

8. The five (5) members of the Appeal Board shall be called together by the President (or President-Elect). Meeting expenses will be covered by the G-CASE.

9. At the meeting of the Appeal Board, the Executive Board may be present, but will not be able to vote on the appeal. A majority vote of the Appeal Board will be necessary to overturn the Executive Board's decision to remove the elected G-CASE officer in question, effective upon written notification to that officer.

10. The officer whose appeal has been considered shall be provided with the Appeal Board's Decision in writing within fifteen (15) days.

Section 2. The Officers of G-CASE shall be as follows: President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Representative to the Georgia CEC, and Immediate Past President. In order to run for an elected office, the candidate must have held a special education leadership position for at least three (3) years. The top vote-getter will be declared the winner of the election.

Section 3. The President, President-Elect, Vice President, and Immediate Past President shall serve a one (1) year term. The Vice President shall move to the position of President-Elect for one (1) year before moving to the position of President. The Secretary, Treasurer, and Representative to the Georgia CEC shall each serve a two (2) year term. The Vice President shall be elected each year. The Treasurer shall be elected in even-numbered years, and the Secretary and Representative to the Georgia CEC shall be elected in odd-numbered years. All elected officers shall officially begin their duties at the G-CASE Executive Board meeting held at the Summer GAEL Conference and be publicly recognized at the G-CASE Fall Conference.

Section 4. If a G-CASE officer no longer meets the eligibility requirements for Regular G-CASE Membership, the position is declared vacant. The Immediate Past-President (Chairperson of the ad hoc Elections Committee) will oversee the process with the Executive Board to fill the vacancy. In case of a vacancy in the office of President, the President-Elect shall assume the office of President. In case of vacancy in the office of President-Elect, or if he/she succeeds the President for any reason, the office of President-Elect shall be filled by Presidential appointment with the approval of the Executive Board. This position shall remain vacant until the next business meeting of G-CASE. At this time, a vote will be taken to move the Vice President to the position of President-Elect, and a replacement for the position of Vice President shall be nominated from the floor. A special election will be held to vote on the nomination to replace the Vice President by voice vote if unopposed; by digital vote, presented no more than seven days after the nomination, if more than one person is nominated.

Section 5. In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of Secretary, Treasurer, or Representative to the Georgia CEC, the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint a temporary replacement to serve until the next scheduled G-CASE election, held before the March G-CASE General Business Meeting, for the length of the unfilled term.

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Section 6. PRESIDENT. The President shall preside at all general business meetings of G-CASE and meetings of the Executive Board. He/She shall appoint all standing and special committee chairpersons (except those specifically provided for in this Constitution) subject to the approval of the Executive Board, and shall be an ex officio member of all committees, with the exception of the Nominations and Elections Committee, and may participate in any meeting of the committees at his/her discretion. This officer shall act for G-CASE between meetings, clearing, whenever necessary, important actions with the Executive Board. The President or such alternate as he/she may designate shall represent G-CASE at meetings of other groups where G-CASE representation is desired or required. The President shall appoint a parliamentarian to serve at all Executive Board and General Business meetings of G-CASE.

Section 7. PRESIDENT-ELECT. The President-Elect shall serve in the event of resignation or absence of the President. He/She will have such other responsibilities as designated by the President. He/She shall accede to the office of President from the position of President-Elect. The President-Elect shall be an ex officio member of all committees and may participate in any meeting of any committee at his/her discretion.

Section 8. VICE PRESIDENT The position of Vice President shall be one of learning about the entire organization to move into the President position in two years. The Vice President will accede to the office of President-Elect from the position of Vice President.

Section 9. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall ensure accurate minutes of all the meetings (including conference calls) of the Executive Board, and all General Business Meetings. He/She shall carry on correspondence as necessary regarding matters delegated by the President.

Section 10. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing the development of the G-CASE budget by the Executive Director each year and submitting it at the annual business meeting following approval by the Executive Board. He/she shall monitor and ensure that an accurate record of receipts and expenditures is maintained by the Executive Director. He/she shall present a report at each meeting. The G-CASE financial record shall be audited annually by the auditing agency chosen explicitly for this purpose.

Section 11. REPRESENTATIVE TO THE GEORGIA CEC. The Representative to the Georgia CEC shall serve as the liaison between G-CASE and CEC. This person shall also provide oversight in the area of CEC scholarships. He/She shall represent G-CASE at all required meetings called by the Georgia Council for Exceptional Children. The Representative to the Georgia CEC shall have the authority to appoint an ad hoc scholarship committee to assist in selecting scholarship recipients.

Section 12. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT. The Immediate Past President shall provide oversight of and Chair the ad hoc Nominations and Elections Committee and the Awards Committee (i.e., Lillie Moncus Award for Special Education Administrator of the Year, Outstanding New Director of the Year, Friend of G-CASE, etc.). These committees will also be comprised of the President-Elect and the Vice-President. In the event the Immediate Past President cannot serve his/her term, the President shall appoint the next most recent Past President whose services are available.

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Article VI – Meetings

The G-CASE membership shall meet bi-annually at two G-CASE General Business meetings – one at the Fall Conference and one at the Spring Conference. Changes in the time and place of the meetings shall be made on the recommendation of the Executive Board, who may also call additional membership meetings as deemed necessary.

Article VII – Executive Board and Advisory Board

Section 1. The Executive Board shall be composed of the elected officers of G-CASE and the appointed chairpersons of standing committees. One or more representatives from the Georgia Department of Education may serve as a liaison to the Executive Board. The Executive Director also serves as a non-voting liaison to the Executive Board.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall meet before the General Business meetings of G-CASE and at such times as deemed necessary. The Executive Board shall serve as an advisor to the President and approve the appointment of the chairs of the standing committees. In addition, The Executive Board shall act upon matters of business that may arise between scheduled general business meetings of G-CASE.

Section 3. Members of the Advisory Board shall be recommended for a two-year term by each region. Each GLRS will appoint a special education administrator from their district to serve on the Advisory Board by the end of September of each year. Members of the Advisory Board may be reappointed. The Advisory Board shall meet twice annually as an individual Board and twice yearly with the Executive Board, but will not vote. Advisory Board members shall be Regular Members of G-CASE and CEC/CASE, participate on at least one G-CASE committee, and serve as mentors to first-year directors through SELDA. In addition, advisory Board members voice the concerns of their districts, share professional learning needs, and convey G-CASE information back to their districts as appropriate.

Section 4. The G-CASE Executive Board shall be responsible for the recruitment, selection, and annual performance evaluation of the G-CASE Executive Director. The responsibilities of the G- CASE Executive Director shall include implementing the strategic plan at the direction of the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall set the salary, benefits, and other compensation by policy.

Section 5. The G-CASE Executive Board shall pre-approve any expenditures made by authorized persons and/or the Executive Director, including purchases of materials, equipment, supplies, or contract services whose total costs exceed $2,500.

Section 6. The G-CASE Executive Board approval process will require a quorum of the Executive Board as defined as a majority (half of the members plus one. Each Co-chair counts as a voting member) of the Executive Board. Voting in person, by conference call, or by email/electronic voting processes is acceptable.

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Article VIII – Committees

Section 1. G-CASE Standing Committees shall be as follows: Legislation, Communication, Strategic Planning, Membership/Recruitment, Professional Learning, Research and Innovation, and Policy and Procedures. The standing committee chairpersons and other special committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Board unless otherwise specified in this document. The chairpersons, with the approval of the President, shall select committee members. When voting is conducted by the Executive Board, and a committee has co-chairs, each Executive Board member has an individual vote. Each member of the Advisory Board shall serve on at least one standing committee. All G-CASE members are eligible to serve on committees.

Section 2. The G-CASE Nominations and Elections Special Committee shall be chaired by the Immediate Past-President. The Chair shall have the Call for Nominations published, along with the eligibility criteria and the duties of each office to be elected, in the G-CASE Newsletter and emailed to all Regular members. The Chair shall then have this slate published in the G-CASE Newsletter and emailed to all active members before the election. The election shall take place by electronic or written ballot sent to all eligible G-CASE members before the Spring General Business meeting. The Nominations and Elections Committee will direct the Executive Director to carry out the election. The Executive Director will certify all voting members and will tabulate the results. Outcomes will be reported to the Nominations and Elections Special Committee Chair, who will announce the winners to the membership at the G-CASE Business Meeting during the Spring Legal Forum.

Article IX – Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Roberts' Parliamentary Law and the latest edition of Roberts' Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education in all cases to which they apply and in which they are not inconsistent with the articles of this Constitution. (Parliamentary procedures will be suspended during G-CASE Work Sessions.)

Article X – PROGRAM OF WORK

G-CASE operates under a Program of Work. The Program of Work is a formal, written plan of the actions, timelines, responsibilities, policies, and by-laws that direct all aspects of the operation of the organization, which is reviewed and updated by the Executive Committee annually.

Article XI – Dissolution

Upon dissolution of G-CASE, the Executive Board shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all liabilities, dispose of all the assets exclusively for the purposes of G-CASE in such manner, or to such organizations such as the Council for Administrators of Special Education; the Georgia Council for Exceptional Children; and/or the Georgia Administrators of Educational Leadership, the purposes of which are to serve the needs of exceptional children. Under no circumstances shall any of the property or assets be distributed to any officer, member, employee, or subsidiary of G-CASE.

Article XII – Amendments

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The Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the eligible voting members present at a general business meeting (face-to-face or digitally) provided the membership has been notified at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the business meeting of intention for revisions.

Amended March 23, 2011
Amended November 8, 2012
Amended March 18, 2014
Amended March 18, 2019
Amended December 18, 2020
(30 calendar days from G-CASE Business Meeting held November 18, 2020): Amended December 17, 2022

(30 calendar days from G-CASE Business Meeting held November 17, 2022)

Amended March 7, 2023

(30 calendar days from G-CASE Business Meeting held March 7, 2023)

Amended November 16, 2023

(30 calendar days from G-CASE Business Meeting held November 16, 2023)

Amendments to The G-CASE Constitution:

1. The G-CASE Constitution is amended to allow the FY21 elected officers to remain in office through FY22 because of the pandemic.
2. The G-CASE Constitution has been amended to allow G-CASE members the opportunity to meet and cast votes virtually through emails and/or surveys when needed. 3. The G-CASE Constitution has been amended to reflect the addition of Membership Levels to better accommodate all members.

4. The G-CASE Constitution has been amended to reflect membership levels for retired/part-time at 49% leaders.
5. The G-CASE Constitution has been amended to improve and clarify the officer election process.

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