How will I afford it?
What if I don’t agree with an Association action?
But, I won’t really have a voice in what the Association does. Right?
Why are dues so expensive?
My wife (husband) also teaches. How can we afford double dues?
I don’t see what IEA and NEA do that we can’t do locally. Why not keep that dues money “at home”?
I’m not a joiner. I take care of myself, so why join?
Why join? I get all the salary benefits anyway.
Why should I be involved in politics? I don’t believe school employees should be.
How will I afford it?
We all understand concerns about cost and budget. Membership is an investment in the profession and the future of public education. Without the Association, there would be little help with unfunded mandates and performance pay initiatives, and little hope of realistic salaries or better insurance. Without the Association, we are pretty much on our own. Through dues, members pay for services to:
• Protect employment rights and peace of mind
• Support programs to improve salaries and benefits
• Promote and safeguard good learning and working conditions
• Keep members informed
• Enhance and promote quality professional development
• Build support for schools and public education
Many members make up the cost of dues through savings on auto insurance, home mortgages, credit cards and even restaurants and tires. NEA Member Benefits and the Access card can help you reimburse yourself for the cost of dues.
What if I don’t agree with an Association action?
The right to disagree is actually one of our greatest strengths. Before association decisions are reached, members and elected leaders discuss and debate issues fully. All members are encouraged to voice their concerns and work to change the Association’s position.
But, I won’t really have a voice in what the Association does. Right?
Wrong. Members have a voice every time your local takes action. Through Association Representatives (ARs) in every school, members help shape local decisions. Through other elected officers and delegates, you have a direct connection to IEA’s Board of Directors and to both the IEA Delegate Assembly and the NEA Representative Assembly that are held each year. Your Local , IEA, and NEA strongly support your right to participate.
Why are dues so expensive?
When the services provided to you are considered, association membership is a tremendous value. No other advocacy organization provides the services required to effectively represent the diversity found in education employees, schools, and students.
Remember, you can recover that expense by using NEA Member Benefit Services and your ACCESS card.
My wife (husband) also teaches. How can we afford double dues?
Couples do have a tough decision to make, but membership is like your insurance policies. If you have an accident, it doesn’t help if only one of you is covered. The same thing applies if one of you needs legal assistance. You must be a member to access those benefits. Since both husband and wife must deal with individual issues of performance evaluation, parental complaints, and employment rights, there is the potential for both of you to need support and assistance in any membership year.
In a case such as yours, it is especially important that you become knowledgeable about every benefit that is available to you as a Local/IEA/NEA member.
I don’t see what IEA and NEA do that we can’t do locally. Why not keep that dues money “at home”?
You local Association could never afford to do the job alone. A substantial part of IEA and NEA dues comes back to provide you a professional staff person (Region Director) who is close by to help you whenever you need it, liability insurance, and the Legal Services Plan. The IEA/NEA dues provide training, research, materials and legislative support that could never be duplicated on your own. If you need specifics on what the Association does at the state and national levels that help you locally, contact your Region Director.
I’m not a joiner. I take care of myself, so why join?
Until Idaho’s teachers organized to win continuing contracts, you could be dismissed unfairly. Until we organized to work together, salaries were very low and benefits were weak. It wasn’t until we organized and seriously went to work that elected officials started paying more than lip service to schools.
The Local/IEA/NEA work to stay current on the changing issues facing your local and public education. The issues of testing, certification, professional development, and pay for performance can only be addressed if we work together.
Why join? I get all the salary benefits anyway.
School boards and legislators want to know how many people the Association represents when we advocate for education employees and students. The more members we have, the greater our ability to effectively represent education employees and to be in touch with their true concerns. When you join the Association, policy makers know that we stand together, and that makes a very big difference.
There is also the issue of commitment to your colleagues. Are you willing to take the benefits for free that many have sacrificed to provide? In most cases, education employees advocate for fairness and equity. It is time to pay your FAIR SHARE.
Why should I be involved in politics? I don’t believe school employees should be.
Every aspect of the operation of a public school is a political decision. Elected leaders at the local, state, and national level control our funding, our curriculum, the length of the school day, and our classroom facilities. We understand that many people are not interested in partisan politics, but we need you to help us address the issues that make things better for our school and our students.
