Overview of the NEA, CTA, and A of EWhen you become a member of the Association of Educators, you also become a member of the National Education Association (NEA) and the California Teachers Association (CTA). The National Education Association (NEA) With its headquarters in Washington D.C., the NEA represents 2.7 million employees of our nation's schools, colleges, and universities. Founded in 1857, its goal is to advance the cause of public education. The NEA is our nation's largest professional employee organization and has affiliates in every state and in more than 14,000 local communities across the United States. On a local level, the NEA helps with raising funds for scholarship programs, conducts professional workshops, and aids in the negotiation process for school district employees. On a national level, the NEA lobbies Congress and the President to increase federal funding for public education and to protect the rights of school employees. On an international level, the NEA is linking educators from around the world in an ongoing dialogue dedicated to making schools as effective as they can be. NEA members nationwide set policy, most notably through an annual Representative Assembly (RA) that convenes an annual meeting every July. NEA members at the local and state level elect more than 9,000 RA delegates, who, in turn, elect NEA's top officers, debate issues, and set NEA policy. Between annual meetings, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee are NEA's top decision makers. For a copy of the NEA governance structure please click on the 'NEA Governance Structure' file located below.The California Teachers Association (CTA) The CTA represents 340,000 employees of California schools from more than 1,000 school districts. Founded in 1863, its goal is to protect and advance the professional and economic interests of its members. The CTA is California's largest professional employee organization and has four regions comprised of 1,100 chapters or local teachers associations (for a copy of the CTA regional map click on the 'CTA Regions' file below). The CTA works for better working conditions, higher salaries, improved health benefits, and progressive personnel policies. On a state level, CTA lobbies in the state legislature and with the governor to protect California's school funding guarantee (Proposition 98) and to maintain an effective and productive public education system. On a local level, the CTA provides support to your A of E officers and invaluable legal advice and trainings to all A of E members. CTA's top policy making body is the State Council in Education. The council's nearly 800 delegates meet four times a year in Los Angeles. These delegates elect the three state-level CTA officers and the CTA Board of Directors. For a copy of the CTA governance structure please click on the 'CTA Governance Structure' file located below. The Association of Educators (A of E)Founded in 1976, the A of E is the exclusive representative of the non-management certificated employees of the San Diego County Office of Education. Currently, the A of E has 233 members and negotiates with SDCOE's administration for the wages, benefits, and working conditions of its unit members. The goal of the A of E is to protect the civil rights and welfare of JCCS' students and teachers. The A of E supports the cause of teachers in disputes with the site or district administration and advocates for you the individual teacher whenever you feel you are being treated unfairly by either entity. The A of E's policy making body is the Executive Council that meets every month before general meetings. Also, the eleven site council representatives meet with A of E's president and CTA staff every other month to discuss member concerns and CTA updates. |
| NEA Governance Structure |
|
| CTA Regions |
|
| CTA Governance Structure |