National Education Association

1. National Education Association Great Public Schools For Every Student

2. We, the members of the National Education Association of the United States, are the voice of education professionals. Our work is fundamental to the nation, and we accept the profound trust placed in us.

3. We believe… • Our vision is a great public school for every student. • Our mission is to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world.

4. These principles guide our work and define our mission: • Equal Opportunity.We believe public education is the gateway to opportunity. All students have the human and civil right to a quality public education that develops their potential, independence, and character. • A Just Society.We believe public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our diverse society. • Democracy.We believe public education is the cornerstone of our republic. Public education provides individuals with the skills to be involved, informed, and engaged in our representative democracy.

5. These principles guide our work and define our mission: (cont.) • Professionalism.We believe that the expertise and judgment of education professionals are critical to student success. We maintain the highest professional standards, and we expect the status, compensation, and respect due all professionals. • Partnership.We believe partnerships with parents, families, communities, and other stakeholders are essential to quality public education and student success. • Collective Action.We believe individuals are strengthened when they work together for the common good. As education professionals, we improve both our professional status and the quality of public education when we unite and advocate collectively.

6. NEA also believes every student in America, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education. In pursuing its mission, NEA has determined that we will focus the energy and resources of our 3.2 million members on improving the quality of teaching, increasing student achievement and making schools safer, better places to learn.

7. History In 1857, one hundred educators answered a national call to unite as one voice in the cause of public education. .. • At the time, learning to read and write was a luxury for most children—and a crime for many Black children. • 1960s-the historic merger of the NEA and the predominantly Black American Teachers Association promoted the human and civil rights of educators and students of all ethnicities.

8. ESEA should promote innovation, high expectations, and encourage development of 21st century skills in public schools. • ESEA should end the obsession with high-stakes, poor-quality tests by developing high-quality assessment systems that provide multiple ways for students to show what they have learned. • ESEA should help provide great educators and school leaders for every student. • ESEA should promote public education as a shared responsibility of parents, communities, educators, and policymakers. • ESEA should provide increased funding to all states and school districts to meet the growing demand for globally-competitive education of U.S. students. Current educational issue viewpoints/stances No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) ESEA

9. Current educational issue viewpoints/stances • Through its nationwide salary initiative, NEA is advocating for: • a $40,000 starting salary for all pre-K-12 teachers • raises that exceed the cost of living in at least 50 percent of NEA higher education locals • a minimum starting salary of $28,000 for all education support professionals Professional pay

10. NEA believes that, particularly in these troubling economic times, investing in education makes both good fiscal sense and good public policy.  • Improving the education of our nation's children should and must be a much higher priority. • America's public schools are struggling to provide quality services to increased numbers of disadvantaged students and students with special needs, while also implementing accountability and testing mandates. • Programs such as Title I, IDEA, and Pell Grants are already underfunded and cannot meet the needs of eligible students. • The federal government has failed to live up to its commitment to provide 40 percent of the costs of providing special education services to students. Because of inadequate federal support, schools are often unable to provide the full spectrum of services mandated under IDEA. In addition, administrators must sometimes cut other critical programs to fund mandated IDEA services. Current educational issue viewpoints/stances Education funding

11. Through Minority Community Outreach, NEA aspires to: • Strengthen relationships with current partners representing ethnic minority communities, and initiate new partnerships and/or projects around education and other issues of mutual interest. • Establish partnerships with ethnic minority communities to develop strategies to close the gaps in student achievement. • Develop and implement, in collaboration with community partners, an education campaign to challenge attacks on public education such as vouchers, privatization, and tuition tax credits. • In collaboration with community partners, advocate for sound public policy at the state, local, and national levels to reduce class size; secure adequate wages for teachers and education support professionals; promote programs that assist disadvantaged and English language learners; and address other critical issues. Current educational issue viewpoints/stances Minority community outreach

12. Current educational issue viewpoints/stances • DROPOUT PREVENTION AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS • NEA supports making high school graduation a national priority. • NEA is committed to improving achievement for all students and closing the achievement gaps, particularly for low-income and minority students.

13. Who can Join & How Start by selecting you membership type… • Active Professional/Certified(For individuals employed in public education in a certified position in a public school district or institution of higher learning or whose job is primarily education) • Active Education Support Professional (ESP)/Classified (For individuals who are employed in public education in a support position in a public school district or institution of higher learning or whose job is primarily in education) • Retired (For individuals no longer employed in public education and who are eligible to receive a pension from an educational employment institution) •  Pre-Retired Subscription (For individuals who are currently working and are an NEA Active Professional or ESP, you may join as a pre-retired member in advance of retirement)

14. Who can Join & How (cont.) • Student Membership (Student Membership is available if you are enrolled in a postsecondary program that is preparatory for employment in a position that will make you eligible for Active (teacher) membership in the NEA) • Student Enrollment/Renewal Form TSTA, NEA -eligible if you are enrolled in a postsecondary program that is preparatory for employment in a position that will make you eligible for active (Teacher) membership in the NEA -apply online in the given year (Sept. 1- Aug. 31st) -membership fee $15 per year (state & local dues are determined by individual state & local affiliates)

15. Member benefits • Insurance (home, life, hospital care) • Credit cards with reward systems • Loans (education, mortgage) • Discounts (car rentals, Smithsonian tours, magazines) • Investment opportunities (retirement programs & certificate of deposits (CDs)) • Professional product discounts

16. Sources & resources • http://www.nea.org/ • http://www.neamb.com/home/home.htm • http://www.keysonline.org/ • http://www.educationvotes.nea.org/ • http://lilysblackboard.org/ • http://store.nea.org/NEABookstore/control/main • http://neapriorityschools.org/ • http://www.neaacademy.org/ • http://www.neahin.org/