It's been many months since the last TESOL convention in Boston, and now that you're likely in your regular routine with your students and your colleagues, you might still have some burning issues in your mind that you’d like TESOL as an organization to pay more attention to. Did you think that a certain problem or question was uniquely yours until you went to the Boston convention and realized that many other people are talking about the same problem? Has the profession in your neck of the woods changed – for better or for worse – and now you’d like TESOL to recognize those changes? What better way to make TESOL – the Board and the membership – aware of items that are important to the profession than to submit a resolution!
Although resolutions aren’t due until February 2011, now is the time to start working on them! Even if you’re not sure whether your burning issue is worthy of a resolution, contact the Rules and Resolutions Committee (RRC) and let us know what you’re thinking. We will be happy to help you turn your idea into a resolution that is worthy of discussion at next year’s annual convention.
Resolutions and/or reaffirmations may be submitted to the Rules and Resolutions Committee from the following sources: the Board of Directors (representing the general TESOL membership), an affiliate, an interest section, any standing committee, or a group of at least ten (10) members in good standing.
- Inform yourself about the background of the issue and find out what TESOL may have already done about it. See TESOL's Web site for information on standards, initiatives, and policy statements and resolutions passed by the Board of Directors.
- Make sure that the resolution is germane to TESOL's mission statement:
| TESOL's mission is to develop and maintain professional expertise in English language teaching and learning for speakers of other languages worldwide. TESOL values - professionalism in language education
- individual language rights
- accessible, high quality education
- collaboration in a global community
- interaction of research and reflective practice for educational improvement
- respect for diversity and multiculturalism
|
- Consider whether a resolution is the most appropriate response.
- Focus the resolution. Do not try to accomplish too many ends in a single resolution. Taking into account the global membership of TESOL, avoid proposing an action that would be improper or impossible in some nations where TESOL has affiliates.
- Write the resolution in standard resolution format, as recommended in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (n.d.).
- As soon as you decide to write a resolution, please contact Allison Rainville (arainville527@gmail.com), Rules and Resolutions Committee Chair, so that you can be assigned a mentor with expertise in writing resolutions to support your efforts to draft your resolution before the submission deadline.
A proposed resolution bearing the signatures of at least ten (10) TESOL members in good standing must be received (not postmarked) by the Chair of the Rules and Resolutions Committee by February 16, 2011.
Resolutions to be considered by the general membership at the Annual Business Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, should be sent to:
Allison Rainville
Rules and Resolutions Committee Chair
arainville527@gmail.com
Reference
Robert's Rules of Order (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2002, from http://www.robertsrules.com/.
More Resources: