Posted by GC on January 15, 2003 at 14:54:42:
In Reply to: Re: for H.S. band directors posted by JoeS on January 15, 2003 at 13:57:50:
Folks in my state are generally quite conservative, and so are most of my fellow teachers. Our state organization is far more conservative than the NEA, and most of the members are there for the benefit packages, particularly liability insurance. Our biggest competing organization (which recently gained a majority of members in my state) has no affiliation with a national group, so their dues are lower. Unfortunately, their benefits are not as good as the NEA-sponsored packages, so I maintain my membership in the NEA affiliate. Even so, I think the NEA's national leadership is badly out of touch with social reality, and I do not subscribe to many of their ideas.
About the only national alternative to NEA is the American Federation of Teachers, and that opens a whole new can of worms. They have a very small membership in my state because teachers' organizations have no collective bargaining rights.