Union Report
National Education Association of the United States
This essay profiles the National Education Association of the United States. The Union was formed in the year 1857 in Philadelphia, initially, the association was known as National Teachers Association before it merged and changed the name to NEA in 1870National Education Association was formed with a mission to advocate for unity and educate professionals and the U.S to prepare its student to succeed in the independent world through public education. The Union core values are Equal opportunity, democracy, professionalism, collective action, and just society. The primary function of its formation was to debate national issues for a small group of educational leaders. It has a membership of over 2.9 million in this 21st century. Members in the association are public schools’ employees, catering workers, secretaries, phycologists, librarians, and other education support professionals.
The Union has a complex structure. First, it has simultaneously departments that has several national bodies based on vocational interest, specialization, and professionalism. The NEA has self-governing firms with their staffs, local affiliates and members. Secondly, it has a multipurpose and individualized organization that helps in bettering the well-being of its members and advancing public education. Thirdly, it has a confederation of state education and alliance of local. NEA has elected delegates and elected officials who are the representative of NEA. Creation of representative assembly in 1921 led to a high growth rate of NSE membership. The Union represents school administration, specifically the public schools in a rural and small town. NEA policies and interests are responsibilities of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The board of Director consists of six directors from members who retired, one Director from each affiliated state, and other three directors from student membership. The Union has been active and in existence for over 169 years.
Collective bargaining case. The state of California, in addition to the other two respondents of the case California Teachers Association and The National Education Association, was the primary pursuant of the case. The issue was solved in the supreme court. The argument that was petition was about the non-member of the Union sharing the benefits, wages and protections that were in the collective bargaining contract without them paying the share cost of negotiations (Saltzman G. M., 2012). The case was filed in court by the Center for Individual Rights, which is an organization that is facilitated and funded by individuals who push their agenda. The trial aimed to weaken and silence educators’ voices and collective bargaining. The court used a combination of fact-finding, litigation and arbitration whereby the arbitrators made a binding decision on despite between the parties involved in the dispute. Initially, the court hearing, the court ‘s reaction seemed poised in ruling against public service workers but later changed to a balance of power in the court after the death of conservative Justice Antonin. The seating of juries decided, and it turned out to be a 4-4 decision. The question remained on whether or not the non-union members to have a share on wage. However, they recognized a keen interest in collective bargaining, and the Union of public employers left intact to uphold collective bargaining of fair share fees unanimously. Secondly, the supreme court denied a political scheme to silence the rights of employees to sharpen profession at the workplace (Saltzman G. M., 2012)
NEA, together with FEA, filed a federal lawsuit over teachers’ evaluation procedure in Florida. On April 16, 2013, NEA and Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit that challenged the standardized test score based on the subjects they don’t teach as an evaluation of teachers. The argument brought by a local educational association of Alachua, Hernando and Escambia countries and the seven teachers. They brought the case to suit the Florida Commissioner of Education, school boards and state Board of Education. The case was filled in United State District Court in The Northern District of Florida. NEA claims evaluating teachers on that basis was a violation of equal protection and abuse of the 14th Amendment, which is about the due process clauses of the U.S. constitution. Hence, I high stake of consequence. The Union wanted teachers to design their new ways of the evaluation procedure since the other system was unfair, erratic and irrational. The Union had hinged on both substantive complain and process which was pursued in federal and state courts. The new method of teachers’ evaluation led to lots of litigation. The federal jury dismissed the case on the ground that the assessment system was arguably unfair, although not unconstitutional. Therefore, the court did not agree with Florida’s evaluation procedure system in infringed teachers’ constitutional rights. Based on the above ruling, the method used in the verdict was national litigation, where the standard of education is right or wrong, but whether the assessment policies were rational and it is in the law (Julie M. & Slavens, 2015)
National Education Association and California Teachers Association backed by students and educators, took legal action against the Secretariat of Education and Department of Education over illegally delaying purpose to safeguard student’s admission in online education. The lawsuit filed in District Court of the U.S. in California. There was no adverse action taken by the complainants. However, they challenged the concerned authority over two charges. First, the delay in notifying student on the requirements for an online university admission program. Secondly, it failed to meet licensing standards that at the end, it faced unfavourable action from authorization. On April 2019 the court ordered that the department had violated the law by declining to implement the rule. By the method of litigation, the court in the fever of NEA and other complainants and stated that the constitution required schoolchildren to receive online education on time and for it was their right to have the proper knowledge. (Duncan, H. E., & Barnett, J., 2010).
In conclusion, NEA believed every student deserved quality education, regardless of the place of resident and social status of the family. NEA focused on Improving quality teaching, making school safe to students, teaching and non-teaching staffs (Duncan, H. E., & Barnett, J., 2010).
Reference
Duncan, H. E., & Barnett, J. (2010). Experiencing online pedagogy: a Canadian case study. Teaching Education. Retrieved from https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/51032482/Experiencing_online_pedagogy_a_Canadian_20161223-7110-1xezt6r.pdf?1482510255=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DExperiencing_online_pedagogy_a_Canadian.pdf&Expires=1593751504&Signature=MToQ8bstWwggMKRh6hrrfiCRjtYJwszA8xUAZ1GalgpegAD7hRAUOVB9DXBrKbEvvqtDOwcAJ6IM48GbVvoAtlvUqyZ0mGvxJr1fKB1K8wLecOmneKmxAq1CB4PD1cQBjOes9UisX1dyGJTNTJNRAVXDJ1lxxVNO~bfmr2bVYXabcGLfzbZ23W2GROie-OrcltEaMd~62cEEW2q4hacZDoUC-4iPjdReOEfwrTVJrY~qoptXldD5qnHcnvyaYYH2JICxudFIF4Ivd5oNoJhy~Qw7YFms-RnemaoRc6s-Nmi5D3i6kt9prWRGg4RH0Gbt4qsSJvIzx2YdFPnL37e~aQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
Julie M. & Slavens. (2015). Teacher Evaluation Litigation. Retrieved from; https://www.standardforsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Teacher-Evaluation-Litigation-Handout.pdf
Saltzman G. M. (2012). An Anti-Union Tide: The 2011 Attacks on Public-Employees’ Bargaining Rights. Retrieved from. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/32325546/An_Anti-Union_Tide_2012_Almanac_of_Higher_Education.pdf?1384580163=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DAn_Anti-Union_Tide_The_2011_Attacks_on_P.pdf&Expires=1593750893&Signature=cVybsNUjSAF1sJ0jkx7p2F~LU3NGBNXY90lBbyd7hLoFkZ9Vvko2Dl5nKh-TPbPhGrs7453Gv7VdQYPwL5ehAyMmfylLrbVgZWxmZN1gAApsviOyPZupB-rc~OuFMTmEc76dCyv4I7MfL9HIFw3CH7ItK8g67VCRZbGRXhBKC4wv7WzpDnZ4WOs1H6YvUgziOOeeeveR2yKkjn4FMMn3JAlfcziQKLsKxPysFV2s0kdnIPzqIb1yGCDWrOvjbo-TGnItpZ1XnjSwwC84TYuNnDVrRsCl7IvPiFfpN~aQjeja4Djt4F~e6m0up2Zl6dS-Vg7Is3fCq8mrYII2ELuOpg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA