Through contract negotiations and internal organization, BMUST has created a variety of committees on which its members can serve the education community of the Bellmores and the Merricks. A few of the committees are contractual (Joint Professional Practices Committee, Curriculum Committee and the Professional Advisory Committee), some are born of a shared interest and concern between BMUST and Central Administration (Professional Development Committee, individual school Site-based committees) and others are formed to advocate on behalf of our own members (the New Teacher/100 hour committee, Political Action). The work of a few of the committees is done alongside administration, some include community members and others are made up solely of BMUST members. The members of nearly all of the committees receive a small stipend as a token of appreciation for the time and effort spent on behalf of BMUST. Each committee has a chairperson and that chairperson is responsible for reporting back to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly on the work of the committee.
The following is the list of committees on which representatives of BMUST serve, a brief description of the work of the committee and the make-up of the committee. For the contractual committees, refer to the appropriate article of the contract for a more complete explanation of the committees charge.
The following is the list of committees on which representatives of BMUST serve, a brief description of the work of the committee and the make-up of the committee. For the contractual committees, refer to the appropriate article of the contract for a more complete explanation of the committees charge.
Curriculum Committee – The Curriculum Committee is a contractual committee whose responsibilities can be found in Article XXIV. The committee is made-up of one BMUST member from each school, building administrators, central administrators, parents and students. The BMUST chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly. The committee meets once a month.
Elections Committee – The elections committee is not a sitting committee per say. Instead, one selected member from each building is responsible for organizing and conducting all elections/votes whenever they are necessary. The chair of the committee, selected by the president, is responsible for making sure all elections/votes are conducted in a manner that is consistent with our Constitution and By-Laws.
Joint Professional Practices Committee – The Joint Professional Practices Committee (JPPC) is a contractual committee whose responsibilities can be found in Article XXIII. The committee is made-up of one BMUST member from each school and both building and central administrators. The BMUST chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly. The committee meets once a month.
Local Do’s – Local Do’s is BMUST’s official publication. Each building has one member who is responsible for contributing, or recruiting a colleague to contribute, an article for the publication. The BMUST public relations liaison is the editor of Local Do’s and responsible for its publication.
New Teachers/100 Hours – The New Teacher/100 Hours Committee is an internal committee that has two primary responsibilities. The first is to help BMUST welcome new teachers to our union and the teaching profession. The second is to advocate for, and ensure the consistent application of, the 100 professional development hours educators need to earn every 5 years to maintain their teaching certificate. The committee is comprised of one member from each building. The chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly. The committee meets once a month.
Professional Advisory Committee – The Professional Advisory Committee is a contractual committee whose responsibilities can be found in Article XXV. The committee is made-up of the President of BMUST, the head building representatives and 3 administrators. The committee meets two to three times a year. The BMUST chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly.
Political Action/Vote-Cope – The Political Action Committee is comprised of one BMUST member from each building. Committee members work within their own building to inform, encourage and support political action (letter writing campaigns, attending rallies, etc.) on behalf of our educational community. Vote-Cope is the non-partisan political action arm of NYSUT and its affiliates. It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from members and those funds are used to help support candidates that support education and labor. The committee meets whenever necessary.
Professional Development Advisory Committee – The Professional Development Advisory Committee is made-up of one BMUST member from each school, building administrators and central administrators. The committee works to ensure that the district is offering necessary and meaningful professional development to its employees. The BMUST chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly. The committee meets whenever necessary.
Special Education Committee – The Committee is an internal committee composed of one member from each building. The committee meets several times per school year to discuss how special education services and protocol are being conducted in each building and to share best practices. The chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly.
Women’s Committee – The Women’s Committee is an internal committee that was formed in 2020 in response to a NYSUT initiative. Understanding that women make up 70% of NYSUT membership and have been consistently powerful BMUST advocates and leaders, the goal is to facilitate conversation so that the committee members can explore Women’s issues, create initiatives, formulate action plans and make recommendations to BMUST. The committee is comprised of up to two members from each building. The chair of the committee submits written minutes of the meetings to the Board of Trustees and the Representative Assembly. The committee meets several times a year.