About the NEA Representative Assembly (RA)
The National Education Association Representative Assembly (RA) is NEA’s highest decision-making body. With over 9,000 delegates, it is also the world’s largest democratic, deliberative body.
Delegates will gather July 3-7 in Philadelphia, PA for the Association’s 161st Annual Meeting and 99th Representative Assembly.
The RA is convened every July during the Annual Meeting. The first two days are devoted to discussions, conferences, and exhibits—but the highlight is the Representative Assembly itself. During this important event, delegates debate issues that impact American public education, elect top officers, and set policy for the 3.2-million-member Association.
In balloting conducted by NEA affiliates throughout the country, NEA members elect their peers to represent their concerns at the RA.
Delegates to represent NEA-New Mexico local affiliates are elected on the basis of one delegate for each 150 members or major fraction thereof. These elections are conducted by Local Associations and the results are reported to NEA-New Mexico and NEA.
Any local with 76 or more members is entitled to elect at least one delegate for this summer’s Representative Assembly. The elected delegates determine NEA’s strategic plan and budget, legislative program, and resolutions. Delegates also vote, by secret ballot, on proposed amendments to the NEA constitution and bylaws and elect NEA’s executive officers, Executive Committee members, and at-large members of the NEA Board of Directors.
NEA bylaw 3-1(g) states that it is the policy of the Association to work to achieve ethnic-minority delegate representation at least equal to the proportion of identified ethnic-minority populations within the state. NEA-New Mexico has a plan to achieve a total state and local delegation to the Representative Assembly that reflects its ethnic-minority proportions. Part of that plan is the encouragement of Local Associations to elect their full contingent of delegates to the Representative Assembly. Presidents in locals with more than one delegate candidate will be encouraged to meet the 3-1(g) numerical goals.
NEA-New Mexico exceeds its ethnic minority delegate goals year after year in the election of State and Cluster Delegates. However, many local Associations do not choose to elect RA delegates or those who elect delegates, do not choose to fund and encourage their attendance at the RA. The failure of Local Delegates to come close to meeting our census generated goal is the major reason for NEA-New Mexico’s failure to meet our 3-1(g) goals.
Local Associations must report delegate election results to the NEA-New Mexico president no later than April 8. Presidents will also be asked to submit a report to the NEA-New Mexico president concerning delegate nominations and elections pursuant to the 3-1(g) implementation.
Contact your local president if you are interested in running as a local Delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly. Encourage your local to conduct its election in a timely manner so that the results can be reported to NEA-New Mexico by April 8. Local delegates do not receive national or state funding to attend the Virtual Representative Assembly. Many Local Associations provide full or partial funding for delegates. Ask your Local President about your Local’s funding. Most of NEA-New Mexico Governing Regions also provide some funding for delegates from the region.
If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation to a state/local delegate.
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