A: The Northshore Education Association represents an opportunity for teachers and their colleagues to support each other and work together to improve their working conditions and their students' learning conditions. The Cascade UniServ Council, a regional office of the WEA staffed by education professionals and governed by members, provides greater opportunities for decision making, training, coalition building and other important activities. Here are just a few of the things undertaken by WEA's 400-plus local associations and 22 UniServ councils:

• Representation for thousands of members in contract negotiations

• Grievance procedures, disciplinary actions and other efforts to protect employment rights

• Training tailored to the needs of locals and school districts in such topics as site-based decision making, new forms of assessment, conflict resolution, inclusion and interest-based bargaining

• Mentoring for new teachers

• Community organizing

• Coalition building

• Parent involvement programs

Northshore Education Associan offers many opportunities for you to be involved. As an officer or member of the executive board, you play an important role in how the council will meet the challenges that lie ahead for public education and for its members. And there are always committees, events, training sessions, parent/community organizing efforts, and much more. To take advantage of any of these opportunities for involvement, contact Tim Brittell, Northshore Education Association President.

• Provided research, strategic, financial and communications assistance in contract bargaining and maintenance for some 400 local associations representing 75,000 education employees in Washington state.

• Organized thousands of parents, educators, business, clergy and other community members to band together to improve our schools through WEA's Organizing for Public Education program.

• Offered professional liability insurance protection and a network of attorneys to provide discounted legal assistance for members in employment-related matters as well as personal legal needs.

• Sponsored 150 in-service training sessions for thousands of members in such topics as inclusion, classroom management, restructuring and school leadership.

• Maintained a strong lobbying presence in Olympia to fight for salaries, benefits and adequate funding for public education; safe schools for students and staff; and fair treatment for education employees.

• Expanded WEA's Web site to provide useful information for the classroom and better communications with educators and the public.

• Pursued and won a $1.6 million grant from the US West Foundation to initiate a statewide teacher training program in technology and to start The Learning Space on the World Wide Web.

• Trained hundreds of WEA members in everything from bargaining to community organizing to conflict management at the annual four-day WEA Leadership Academy, held every August on the campus of Central Washington University.

• Broadcast television ads across the state promoting the successes of Washington's public education system and public school employees, along with statewide radio ads focusing on compensation and ed reform issues.

• Offered dozens of great-rate insurance coverages, entertainment discounts and other benefits exclusively for members.

Q:    I'm a Special Education teacher. How does NSEA help me with my special problems and needs?

        A:   See  Special Educators = Special Needs
  

Page updated 30 April 2006.