Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes the AEA different from other teacher organizations?
- What is the difference between the AEA and the NEA?
- How can I help?
- Is the AEA really going to work?
- What’s in the works?
- Can I be a member of my local teachers association and NEA as well as the AEA?
What makes the AEA different from other teacher organizations?
What makes the AEA unique is that we are a group of educators who are working towards a new frontier for the teaching profession. We recognize that excellent teaching impacts student learning positively. Therefore, there needs to be more excellent teachers. In order for this to happen, the teaching profession must look attractive to smarter people. Smarter people would consider teaching if the pay was commiserate with the education and the demands of the job.
Teachers who are entering the profession now have the most education of any group that has come before it. Therefore, their expectations are different from veteran teachers who are more comfortable continuing to stay the course.
Teachers who become national board certified believe in working hard and getting recognition of their hard work through salary and promotion.
What is the difference between the AEA and the NEA?
The main difference is that the AEA is not a union. The AEA is not involved in collective bargaining issues or providing liability insurance.
Is the AEA really going to work?
We believe in today’s climate where teachers are being asked to perform Herculean tasks without any real incentives for them to work beyond 100%, that the time is now to begin recruiting a large number of top teachers who wish to gain control over their own destiny.
Too many teachers are working too hard for very little in terms of salary, benefits and a voice I how students should be taught.
- membership drive
- a meeting to elect a board of directors
- a proposal to get funding from foundations
- a march in Washington, D.C. to let the public know we mean business
Can I be a member of my local teachers association and NEA as well as the AEA?
Yes. The NEA has its place. The AEA seeks to co-exists with the NEA. Many teachers desire to be part of a non-partisan professional association, which NEA is not.
The AEA is not interested in putting other teacher groups out of business. The AEA is simply working at another level on behalf of good teachers everywhere.
First, by becoming a member. Currently there is no membership fee. Second, by getting the word out to other teachers who think the way you do about the profession. Third, by offering to help in any way you can.