WEA Cascade

If you are a new school employee, you may be curious as to what your association dues entitle you to receive. Some of you who are more experienced may also have the same questions.

Over the years, our union has worked tirelessly to improve working conditions to help you create the best learning environment for your students. By joining WEA, you are making a career investment. Here are a dozen ways your WEA investment pays great dividends!

1. Representation

Whether it's contract negotiations, a grievance, an education coalition, a legislative committee, or the State Board of Education, whenever and wherever decisions are being made that impact public education, school employees? pay or benefits, education policy, or students, WEA is there representing our members' views.

2. Professional Development

WEA offers members a wide variety of professional development training opportunities on accountability and testing, licensure, advocacy, collective bargaining, classroom management, communications, political action, human and civil rights, education support professionals' issues, building education partnerships, and more. WEA strives to offer high-quality workshops on virtually every area of concern to members, at little or no cost to participants.

 3. Networking

WEA offers members numerous opportunities to get together and network. At Association-sponsored events, you can connect with other education professionals from across the state who are dealing with the same issues you are. You?ll find support from people who understand your day-to-day work, and who keep up to date with all of the education reform changes that you need to keep your teaching skills on the cutting edge.

 4. Legal Assistance

WEA helps protect you against lawsuits, arbitrary dismissal and economic hardship. But the Association's legal advice goes far beyond liability insurance and attorneys. Any time you have a question about your employment rights or benefits, a local WEA leader or UniServ staff member is available to answer those questions. UniServ staff can also go to bat for you with your administration when you have questions and/or concerns. If you need legal assistance, WEA's attorneys are the best in Washington on employment-related or education law. Best of all, the services we offer are free to WEA members.

5. Political Clout

Together, we can do more than we can individually. The Washington Education Association is recognized as the single most effective voice for public education in your local school district, community, and the state. Likewise, the National Education Association ? to which all WEA members also belong -- is the strongest voice for public education in the country.

6. Information

WEA is a public school employee's best source of accurate, timely information about current laws, regulations and policies concerning public education. WEA's member magazine, WE, WEA's web site (www.WashingtonEA.org), and specialized publications keep members informed on the latest issues affecting them. Additional information is as close as a phone call for any member. Check your WEA calendar book or visit WEA Online for contact numbers. In addition, WEA?s experts give your local association access to expert research on everything from school district budgets to the most effective instructional techniques, as well as opportunities for customized local and building surveys.

7. Education Excellence

WEA has emerged as the state leader in creating a vision for the future of education ? a vision where schools are the center of the community and where educators have the support and resources they need.

8. Liability Insurance

 If you are sued at work, WEA's liability insurance will provide you with an attorney and a million dollars in coverage if there is a judgment against you.

9. Public Relations

The Association reaches the public with members' views, and builds the image of school employees through solid media relations, television and radio advertising, special events, and other public relations activities.

10. Publications

WEA's member magazine, WE, and WEA Online are just two of the many publications and resources published by WEA for members. WEA members also gain access to a nationwide Internet portal, OWL.org, where members can get professional updates and trade classroom tips. Your Association also helps publish a variety of local Association newsletters, booklets, brochures and listservs to keep members informed on a variety of topics.

11. Saving You Money

Many WEA members save more than their annual dues through Association discounts on everything from hotels to car rentals. You'll find a complete listing of all the NEA/WEA member benefit programs and services in the Members/Discounts section of WEA Online.

12. Your Voice is Heard

Recently, other "professional educator" groups have sprung up. But be wary of sham organizations that want to silence your voice, or groups funded by public education critics that are wolves disguised as sheep. The WEA has more than a 100-year record of working with you and for you. Every key policy at WEA is set by members, through regular board meetings and delegate assemblies. It's by working together that we share the power of knowledge.

More information is available at www.washingtonea.org.