September 17, 2020

New President Toolkit: To-Do Checklist

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  • Notify your Region, WEAC and NEA in writing of your new position along with any other updates/changes in your local leadership.
  • Talk to your predecessor. Be sure to get copies of any minutes, correspondence and other significant papers pertaining to your role.  Especially look over reports and actions of the last year so that the program is continuous and there are no loose ends.
  • Call on your superintendent, board president and news media to introduce yourself and to seek their cooperation in improving the educational program and staff morale.
  • Check on significant dates ahead—such as Regional, WEAC, and NEA Representative Assemblies, Regional council meetings, leader trainings, school board meetings. Make plans to attend or to send another local leader to attend in your place.
  • Make a list of key association officers, committee chairpersons, building representatives, school board members, superintendent, and key community contact people. Include phone numbers, and email addresses.
  • Meet with your executive committee or board of directors and check to make sure that committees are organized and continue to operate.
  • Establish all necessary task forces and committees.
  • Establish a list of people interested in participating in local association activities. Keep a “talent file” of these people and call upon them as needed.
  • Hold a preliminary meeting of the board of directors for the purpose of planning and setting goals for the year.
  • Set a monthly meeting schedule for the board of directors and executive committee.
  • Prepare an agenda in advance for each board of directors and executive committee meeting, and send it out in advance of each meeting.
  • Check with the local secretary before each meeting to make sure that all necessary committee reports, materials, minutes, correspondence, etc. are on hand.
  • Require your treasurer to produce and present a monthly financial report for the board of directors and the executive committee.
  • Require each committee chairperson to present a monthly report to the board of directors or executive committee and a quarterly report to the general membership.
  • Work on achieving the goals you set for the year. Keep the membership informed of what they are and the progress that is being made.
  • Familiarize yourself with and follow acceptable rules of parliamentary procedure in conducing meetings
  • Obtain a copy of your district’s employee directory.
  • Follow procedures to elect delegates to the Regional or Urban Council and make sure that they report back to the executive committee and board of directors.
  • Make sure that you have a Membership Chairperson who is handling the plan for recruiting new members and ways to pull in members who have left the association as an ongoing plan throughout the year.Update bank account signatures for new officers.
  • Familiarize yourself with your local’s constitution and bylaws.
  • Communicate regularly with the other officers, especially the vice president.
  • Establish and maintain contacts with other local association presidents and attend meetings of local presidents including Regional meetings.
  • Develop a working relationship with your Regional or Urban staff.