During IEA’s 2025 Delegate Assembly April 4-5, 14 New Business Items or NBIs were presented by delegates, debated and voted on. NBIs address emerging concerns, opportunities for improvement, or new projects that require the union’s attention. NBIs should aim to enhance the union’s operations, advocate for members’ interests or help the union adapt to changing circumstances. Any member may propose an NBI, but must secure the support of 25 other IEA members (with signatures). Locals, region councils or the IEA Board of Directors can also propose NBIs. Each proposal is debated and voted on at Delegate Assembly. Here are the 14 presented this year and the result of the vote at DA:
NBI 1: May Matters Primary Election Campaign – APPROVED
Idaho Education Association leaders and members will collaborate with interest holder groups, community organizations, and other strategic partners to form a coalition to engage in statewide action for a May Matters 2026 Primary Election Campaign.
This initiative is grounded in collaboration with interest holders, strategic organizing, and raising awareness about the critical importance of primary elections in a single-party state like Idaho. By advocating for common sense politicians, we can drive meaningful change. This effort will require collective action and solidarity. Together, we can build a future where the political climate is stabilized, public education is supported, and voters feel represented at the statehouse.
Motion maker: Regions 2 & 7
NBI 2: Rescindment of Brad Little’s Champion of Education Award – FAILED
The Idaho Education Association shall rescind the Champion of Education Award given to Governor Brad Little in 2024.
The Champion of Education Award “shall go to a person or persons who have made a special and unique contribution to the cause of education over an extended period of time and particularly in the last year within the purview of their job.” Since the award was announced, Gov. Little signed many anti-education bills into law including HB 710 threatening librarians, HB 93 siphoning tax-payer dollars to fund unaccountable private schools, and HB 41 censoring classroom flag displays.
Motion maker: Richard Zuercher, Region 7
NBI 3: IEA Library Committee – APPROVED
The IEA will create a standing state-wide library committee.
The Library Committee will continue as outlined in NBI 4 from 2024. It will act as a bridge between the IEA and Idaho’s school librarians. By hosting outreach programs and informational sessions, the committee can educate librarians about the benefits of IEA membership and the resources available to them through the IEA. This will increase librarian engagement and strengthen the collective voice of educators in Idaho. Members from each region will meet virtually regularly and in person annually.
Motion maker: Heidi Robbins, Region 6
NBI 4: EMBERS – APPROVED
The Idaho Education Association will establish a new standing committee, the EMBERS Committee, to develop and oversee the EMBERS Program. This program will focus on two key areas:
- Reinvigorating Teaching: Providing professional development, peer mentoring, and leadership opportunities to help late-career educators remain engaged and motivated in their final years in the classroom.
- Retirement Readiness: Offering workshops, financial planning sessions, and transition support to help educators smoothly navigate the path to retirement.
As educators approach retirement, they often seek ways to reinvigorate their passion for teaching while also preparing for the next stage of their lives. The EMBERS (Experienced Members Boosting Education, Renewal, and Support) Program aims to provide late-career educators with resources, mentorship opportunities, and retirement planning support.
Motion maker: Mary Anne McGrory, Region 5
NBI 5: Public Education Video Series – FAILED
The IEA will create a video series about public education in Idaho.
The purpose of this series is to combat misinformation about public education in Idaho by sourcing real information and facts from educators themselves. Topics for the video series could include, but not be limited to, the funding formula, bonds/levies, staffing, student accommodations (IEPs & 504s), roles of classified staff, etc. The videos could be useful in supporting initiatives (such as “May Matters”) by informing viewers about the crucial relationship between bills and education policy.
Motion maker: Lisa Callaway, Region 9
NBI 6: Electronic Membership Updates (Amended) – APPROVED
Searchable PDF monthly statements shall be sent to local affiliates. Local associations shall receive spreadsheets each quarter (Dec, Mar, June, Sept) showing the dues paid by each member and the type of payment (EFT, Credit Card, Payroll Deduction, etc.)
At this time I am reconciling my local’s membership records by hand, which takes several hours with a large local. Having a searchable pdf will reduce the time required to reconcile records substantially. I don’t receive notice of members who have NOT paid their dues until March, making it difficult for members to make smaller payments over a period of time. If these dues are NOT paid, the local HAS to pay. An electronic spreadsheet sent each quarter of PAID dues by each member will help.
Motion maker: Brenda Southwick, Region 4
NBI 7: PACE Fundraising (Amended) – APPROVED
Allow PACE to collect donations from the public through the May 2026 Primary Election in Idaho. Only IEA members may vote in PACE matters. PACE Bylaws only allow IEA members and family to donate. Allowing the public to support PACE activities will give more resources for “May Matters.”
Motion maker: Joe Burton, Region 7
NBI 8: National Board Certification Advocacy – REFERRED TO IEA BOARD
The IEA should establish a support program for National Board Certification. This could consist of, but should not be limited to the following elements:
- Establishing a support group for candidates or aspiring candidates
- Educating/raising awareness about National Board Certification, and
- Providing digital resources for candidates on the IEA website.
There are currently no resources for teachers in Idaho who are interested in pursuing a National Board Certification. At a time when our schools are under the microscope, it is more important than ever to defend quality education and elevate the profession. The mission and goals of The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards – developing highly accomplished educators – aligns with the resolutions of this body.
NBI 9: Transformative Leadership: Inclusivity Training for LUPs – FAILED
The IEA will provide inclusivity training for all local union presidents and/or a designee of their executive teams a minimum of twice yearly, focused on creating inclusive spaces for all, both members and students, aligned with our resolutions.
Trainings would include, for example:
- Inclusive advocacy practices
- Methods for supporting diverse union members, including but not limited to:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ people
- People with disabilities
- Immigrants
- Black, Brown and Indigenous people
- Women
- Military Veterans
- Economic insecurities
- Tactics for building inclusive Union spaces
Training may be done in partnership with or led by Leaders for Just Schools and/or the HCR committee, as decided by our Union.
Trainings may be held at the annual LUP meeting, Summer Institute, Region Meetings, or alternative spaces at the behest of the committee.
The work of building an inclusive union, focused on solidarity, and the noble goal of dismantling oppressive systems belongs to all of us. This NBI is aimed at connecting current resources and commitments that we have made, as a union, to our resolutions, disseminated through LUPs/designees, to be used to support members and students in the margins. This is a union for all of us, and, as local leadership, it ought to be our duty to further the implementation of our resolutions.
Motion maker: Joy Weisel, Region 8
NBI 10: Labor Acknowledgement at IEA Events/Meetings – APPROVED
A formal Labor Acknowledgement Statement will be read aloud at Idaho Education Association (IEA) public events and meetings. This statement will recognize the historical and ongoing contributions of workers, particularly focusing on Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans and their descendants, documented and undocumented workers, and other marginalized groups. The statement should be read at the beginning of IEA public events and meetings immediately following the Land Acknowledgement. The Association will make available resources as requested.
The U.S., and Idaho, was built on the labor of marginalized groups – indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, and immigrant workers – whose contributions have been overlooked. A Labor Acknowledgement by the IEA honors this history, promotes equity, raises awareness, fosters respect, and reaffirms our commitment to justice and solidarity with all workers in building a fair, inclusive education system, which reminds members and participants of the deep interconnections between labor, education, and social justice.
Motion maker: Lisa Ozuna, Region 7
NBI 11: Include At-Large Position on all Statewide Committees – FAILED
Request that the IEA Board update policy to include At-Large positions on statewide committees. Whereas IEA policy includes an At-Large position on the board, it is also important to consider a more diverse variety of perspectives at as many levels as possible in order to better serve and represent all members.
Motion maker: Christine Ronan, Region 7
NBI 12: Unite with Charter School Educators – APPROVED
This NBI seeks to organize a strategic membership campaign to connect our public charter educators with the traditional public school educators through our union. 2025-26 will be a time for planting the seeds for our IEA values to establish across Idaho’s public charters.
More IEA members means more and better-quality educator support throughout Idaho. Given HB 93, membership will help public schools and charters work collaboratively rather than competitively, for the benefit of all our students and families.
Unionization will provide support for the highest professional educator and administrator standards. Association membership will provide a bulwark for student academic learning standards in the face of on-going attempts to dismantle them.
Motion maker: Hester Comstock, Region 7
NBI 13: ML Collaborative Support – APPROVED
This would allow school Multilanguage Learners (ML) educators to form a collaborative working group that can develop an ML toolkit across the state. The group would meet quarterly via virtual meetings.
This working group would focus on collecting and organizing resources such as transition services, family resources, and educator resources (curriculum, community programs). These resources would be accessible on the IEA website for all educators.
Motion maker: Crystal Villanueva, Region 8
NBI 14: Community Platform for Organizing – APPROVED
The IEA will convene a workgroup to explore and recommend the most appropriate platform to meet the communication, organizing, and collaboration needs of the association. This workgroup will:
- Review at least 3 platform options by Fall 2025.
- Evaluate each platform’s usability, accessibility (especially via mobile), privacy, scalability, and alignment with IEA’s organizing goals.
- Provide a recommendation and implementation plan to the Board of Directors.
- Center the goal of creating a centralized, opt-in space for member engagement, action updates, resource access, and project collaboration.
Proposal to create a centralized, mobile-friendly platform for association communication and organizing to support “May Matters.” Current tools lack key features and contribute to email fatigue. A workgroup will explore platforms like Slack, Hivebrite, and Circle to find the best fit. The goal is an opt-in “union hub” for updates, collaboration, and resources. Recommendations due Fall 2025, with roll-out by 2026.
Motion maker: Alexandra Walker, Region 7
