When was nea founded

The extent to which the NEA and its state and local affiliates engage in political activities, especially during election cycles has, however, been a source of controversy. At the national level, the NEA lobbies the United States Congress and federal agencies on behalf of its members and public schools, works with other education organizations and friends of public education, provides training and assistance to its affiliates, and generally conducts activities consistent with the policies set by its elected governing bodies.

September 27, Louis Malfaro, president of the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers, wrote an op-ed calling upon the legislature and governor to increase state funding for public schools, claiming, "Since the early s, funding for public education in Texas, adjusted for inflation, has been flat. Read Ballotpedia's fact check ». NEA's 3. NEA lists the following issues as its current focus: [10]. For more than four decades, Clinton has fought to make sure all children have a fair opportunity to succeed regardless of their ZIP code.

Clinton will continue to advocate on behalf of students, educators and working families because she understands the road to a stronger U. The following table displays the top 10 candidates who received the most money from NEA.

Federal law prohibits unions from using dues money or other assets to contribute to or otherwise assist federal candidates or political parties, in accordance with their tax-exempt status. Critics have repeatedly questioned the NEA's actual compliance with such laws, and a number of legal actions focusing on the union's use of money and union personnel in partisan contexts have ensued.

Substantial criticism has been leveled against the NEA and other teachers unions for allegedly putting the interests of teachers ahead of students and for consistently opposing reforms that critics claim would help students but harm union interests. On the other hand, the NEA has often opposed measures such as merit pay, school vouchers, reforms to teacher tenure, curriculum reform, the No Child Left Behind Act , and many accountability reforms. Apple Inc. CEO, Steve Jobs, has criticized the NEA and other teacher unions for its lack of support for voucher programs, merit pay, and the removal of bad teachers.

NEA has come under fire for taking advantage of laws in some states that compel, under certain conditions, membership in the association. In a case brought before the U. Supreme Court "Davenport v. A majority of the 9, delegates attending the convention in Denver, Colorado made the vote because "the Department's failed education agenda focused on more high-stakes testing, grading and pitting public school students against each other based on test scores.

California , which dealt a blow to tenure rules in the state. Motions calling for Duncan's resignation have been raised at each of the NEA's annual meetings since , but none had received the majority vote for passage. The American Federation of Teachers approved a motion on July 13, , urging Duncan's resignation if he did not make improvements. NEA is governed by an executive committee and a board of directors. For a list of the board of directors, see the NEA page here. According to Politico , this would be the first super PAC funded by labor unions.

This is a disturbing development and one that requires a further explanation. This scheme if the logical outcome of an obsession with, and a desire to throw open the doors of labor to, outside organizations that are completely out of touch with the needs and concerns of ordinary, blue-collar working Americans.

National Education Association News Feed. Increasing student achievement is NEA's first strategic priority. Making sure that all students have the skills and knowledge to function successfully in school so that they may also succeed as adults is critical to the Association's strategic focus on rebuilding public confidence in public education.

This department is dedicated to helping local affiliates address issues such as high-stakes testing and implementing standards-based education. It also helps affiliates advocate for and influence instructional policy and practice at the local level and implement the NEA's annual Read Across America child literacy event, which is held every March 1 in honor of the birthday of Dr.

Seuss Theodor Geisel. Teacher quality. The single most important factor in enhancing student achievement is teacher quality. The NEA stands by the belief that without a qualified teacher in every classroom, student learning is limited and access to quality education is compromised.

NEA's Teacher Quality Department is designed to help all teachers achieve high standards for practice. Through this department, the NEA promotes rigorous standards for access to, and graduation from, teacher preparation programs; advocates that all teacher education institutions meet the high standards set by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education NCATE ; and insists on comprehensive teacher induction programs, which include mentoring support systems for new teachers that enhance professional practice and teacher retention.

The department also seeks to ensure that all personnel hired to teach are fully licensed; promotes the strategic recruitment and retention of licensed teachers in shortage areas; advocates standards-driven professional development and teacher evaluation systems that work to enhance performance; and advances strategies to increase the number of teachers, particularly minority teachers, who become National Board Certified.

School system capacity. The NEA is working to enhance school system capacity to assure that America's schools have the staff, structures, and resources needed to improve student achievement. Toward this end, work in this department establishes systems that support quality teaching and high levels of learning.

The NEA is also seeking to increase financial support for public education, stimulate the recruiting and maintaining of quality school staffs, improve the physical learning environment, ensure safe and orderly schools, promote equity and excellence among school districts, and help educators, parents, and other interested citizens develop more effective school management and decision-making processes. At the state level, NEA activities are wide-ranging.

NEA state affiliates, for instance, regularly lobby legislators for the resources schools need, campaign for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and file legal actions to protect academic freedom. At the national level, NEA's work ranges from coordinating innovative projects to restructuring how learning takes place and fighting congressional attempts to privatize public education.

At the international level, NEA is linking educators around the world in an ongoing dialogue dedicated to making schools as effective as they can be. On an individual level, NEA members organize themselves into voluntary groups called caucuses. Lobbying and elections. One of the most prominent education lobbying group in the nation, the NEA is influential in politics—ranging from school board elections to the presidential election.

With 2. This makes NEA a loud voice in America's public-education policy debate. NEA's lobbying efforts are based on the initiatives passed by the Representative Assembly, and usually involve school funding issues, student testing requirements, and federal funding for needy schools. The NEA is often called upon to serve as a voice for teachers and public education in national media outlets.

By , every state had a pension plan. Over the intervening century from founding to , NEA grew from its original 43 to , members. NEA is located in Washington D.

NEA gives generously to Democratic political campaigns as well as various left-of-center organizations. This trend to active engagement in politics increased rapidly after the s as states began requiring school districts to collectively bargain with NEA and other unions.

Democratic presidential primary contender Sen. Through its grant program and in its political contributions, NEA gives money to various left-of-center organizations, including: [27]. United Federation of Teachers. National Urban League. Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Center for American Progress. Progress Now.

Media Matters for America. Democracy Alliance. Progressive, Inc. Progressive States Network. This fund was established through individual donations from members of the NEA. NEA advocates for a wide array of left-of-center positions on education and other political issues.

In , a report card of various educational contractors and consultants was released by Parents Defending Education PDE.