UEA encourages increased member involvement

One of the Utah Education Association’s goals in its strategic plan is to increase the involvement of members in advancing the work of the Association.

Clearly, the Association’s success in defeating private school vouchers demonstrated its ability to mobilize members. Not since 1989 – during a statewide job action – has the UEA undertaken such a massive organizing effort. Literally thousands of UEA members were energetically involved in gathering signatures, identifying voters, distributing literature, and fund raising.

The UEA is always looking for new, energetic leaders. If you’ve been involved in efforts to defeat Referendum 1, you’re ready to seek a local or state leadership role. Eight positions on the UEA Board of Directors are open for election this year and the deadline for Declaration of Candidacy forms is Monday, January 14, 2008. The Declaration of Candidacy form is available on the UEA’s home page at www.utea.org.

The UEA has a comprehensive plan to promote the active involvement of ethnic minority members and to increase the number of ethnic delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly (NEA RA). This Minority Involvement Plan is required by the NEA and may be viewed on the UEA’s website. The UEA encourages each local affiliate to include provisions in its bylaws to 1) assure ethnic minority representation at all levels of the organization, including the local’s governing board, and 2) to develop procedures that will enable ethnic minority members to qualify as delegates to the NEA RA.