MSTA Campaign Information

Soon it will be time for the 2012 MSTA State Convention. In less than two months on Nov.15 and 16, we will gather in Kansas City. 

For our voting delegates, it will also be time for you to make decisions regarding MSTA’s future leadership.

Our annual state Convention is when our delegates attend to the business of MSTA during the Assembly of Delegates. Our delegates are responsible for voting for our next group of leaders, the 2012-2013 MSTA Board of Directors.

To prepare you for this work and to inform the general membership, we wanted to alert you to the new candidate filing process. 

1. Candidates wishing to run for either MSTA vice president or MSTA president-elect must submit a Candidate Filing Form to Carina Hrdina after March 1 of the year they are planning to run. Campaign activities, including travel to meetings outside the candidate’s region, distribution of campaign materials and expenditures shall not be undertaken until official written notification is received in the state office. There will be no announcements made by potential candidates at the preceding Assembly of Delegates.
2. Candidates filing after March 1 but before July 1 will have their information appear in School & Community. Information will consist of a candidate bio based on the information provided in the Candidate Filing Form, a photo and an article written by the candidate, available on the Candidate page. Should more than one candidate file for an office, order of publication will be determined by first to file. Candidates failing to meet the July 1 deadline will not have any information published in School & Community. 
3. Any candidate wishing to run, but failing to meet the July 1 deadline, may still file for a position on or before Aug. 1. All candidates filing on or before Aug. 1 will be encouraged to prepare a four-minute speech to be recorded on video and shown at the MSTA Open Hearings. The video will be recorded at MSTA headquarters and consist of a four-minute speech by the candidate. In addition, candidates may prepare a one-page flier to be handed out at Open Hearings and mailed with the delegate mailing. Candidates will also be invited to participate, individually, in a question and answer style podcast. The flier, video and podcasts are available on the Candidate page.
4. The MSTA president will be the only officer to attend MSTA Open Hearings. Candidates may only attend their own Region’s Open Hearing but may not speak to the group regarding their candidacy beyond their prepared, recorded speech.
5. After the Aug. 1 deadline, all candidates must be nominated from the floor at the annual MSTA Assembly of Delegates.
6. Campaign expenses may not exceed $1500 for all campaign-related expenses, including copy costs for the flier for the Open Hearings and delegates’ materials, donated materials, professional services, postage or giveaways. Only donated volunteer time (ex. folding, stuffing envelopes, working the campaign table, helping make campaign materials, etc.) and candidate travel to the MSTA headquarters to record the podcast and video, travel to  the Assembly of Delegates and hotel accommodations, if not otherwise covered by MSTA, shall be excluded from campaign expenses. If a region, CTA or individual promotes a candidate in any way, those costs must be included in the $1500 limit. By December 15, each candidate must submit an itemized and signed statement disclosing sources and amounts of campaign funds raised and reporting all expenditures paid by or on behalf of the candidate. This statement must be submitted to the state office for review by the Board of Directors.
7. During the Annual Convention, all candidates that filed on or before Aug. 1 will be supplied a table for a candidate meet-and-greet at the MSTA reception the night before the Assembly of Delegates. Candidates and their volunteers can campaign at the table from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Campaign materials can be distributed from the table. Props, skits, audiovisual and other media will not be allowed at any time.
8. On the day of the Assembly of Delegates, no distribution of materials is to occur by the candidate or anyone representing the candidate. Rules governing nominating and candidate speeches are contained in the MSTA Standing Rules (12).
9. Any materials distributed at the MSTA Convention shall be in compliance with the MSTA Standing Rules (13).

10.To ensure the MSTA Board of Directors and its officers remain neutral in all elections, they are prohibited from delivering nominating speeches for candidates or otherwise campaigning, promoting or endorsing any candidate.

To reiterate, in order to receive meaningful insight into each candidate’s position and philosophy, members can view video footage, hear a podcast and read more information about each candidate prior to convention on the Candidate page.

On behalf of all the MSTA staff and current Board of Directors, we are looking forward to welcoming you to Kansas City in November!