Getting Involved in Your Local Association
Through the New Member Tips, we’ve given you an idea of how the association can help you successfully navigate your first year as a teacher. In turn, you can help your local association by getting involved and sharing your thoughts, ideas and perspective as a new member.
Each local association has a unique structure. Talk to your president or association representative to find out how your local takes care of association business. Here are some general ways you can get involved in your local association:
- If your local is preparing for bargaining, ask to be on the bargaining team or committee. It’s important that all members are represented and you can offer input on contract issues that directly affect new members.
- Volunteer to be a building or association representative. As a member of your local’s executive board, you’ll have an opportunity to be a part of the decision-making body for your local.
- Become a delegate to MEA’s Representative Assembly (RA). The RA meets twice a year—in the fall and in the spring. As a voting delegate, you are eligible to vote on issues that set policy for MEA. The Spring RA is April 25-26 at the Lansing Center. You can attend as a visitor and see how MEA works.
- Express an interest in serving on an association committee—communications/PR, grievance, or political action. Local associations are always looking for help and volunteers. You again have a chance to represent new members.
- If you have aspirations of becoming an association officer one day, ask if you can shadow one of the current officers to get an idea of what the job entails. With the high number of teacher retirements occurring, local associations are looking for qualified replacements for their leaders.
A local association is only as strong as the members it represents. Your association needs you.