A Field Guide to Union Advocacy

The NEA Aspiring Educators (AE) program is a vibrant community of people making their campuses, schools, and hometowns better places to live and learn. Whether getting needed resources for students, electing candidates who support public schools, or showing up at a Praxis session on a Tuesday night, each of us has a role in cultivating a healthy education “ecosystem.”

Where do you fit in? Let your interests and talents lead the way. 

HABITAT 

These Aspiring Educators hasten to places where policy is made, determined to have a word with the leaders who make decisions about public schools. 

CHARACTERISTICS 

Skilled guides. With NEA support and training, these future educators share their expertise on what students and educators need to succeed. 

Bridge-builders. These members do not avoid problems. When they get time to advocate for students, they make the most of it.  

Meet Alissa Pressley 

Ever since her sophomore year ​ at the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, Pressley has known she wants to teach low-income students. “Knowing that other people did not have the same advantages that I had makes me want to be a person to fight for them,” Pressley says.  

She notes that many of the public schools in her state are dilapidated and are not meeting students’ needs. “So, I can only imagine how their academic needs are being met,” she adds.

Lobbying state officials is ​one way Pressley and her fellow AE members advocate for education causes. 

“What we do is so much bigger than just our college campus,” Pressley ex­plains. “I want students to know that I’m always … in their corner­—rooting for them in a society that isn’t always set up for them to succeed.”

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HABITAT 

These Aspiring Educators gather around the table with their fellow members to effectively plan and advocate for themselves and their future students.  

CHARACTERISTICS 

Detail-oriented. These members are used to getting out the magnifying glass to take a closer look at every element ​of
 a project.

Great at teamwork. These members know their strength comes from unity with their union siblings. They know how to make the most of each team member’s skills. 

Meet Angela Coran

During her student-teaching practicum, Coran was working with a student who qualified for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). But the student’s parents decided against using the service. 

“It was a misunderstanding,” says Coran, who attends Western Governors University online and lives in Washington. “They didn’t want their child to be viewed in what they thought was a bad light.” 

While the decision was ultimately up to the parents, Coran advocated for her student by sitting down with the parents and explaining the importance of the IEP. 

In the end, the student received the needed services and progressed smoothly throughout the year.

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HABITAT 

Look for crowds! Listen for noise! You’ll never find noisemakers alone. 

CHARACTERISTICS 

A steady voice. Alone, a noisemaker’s song may not be special. But when combined with the voices of dozens of other future educators, sometimes hundreds or thousands, it is beautiful and powerful.

A pack mentality. Noisemakers work best when part of a strong team. They are willing to sit inside school board meetings or rally outside state capitols, and make some noise for public education. They live our union value of solidarity! 

Meet Adriana Perez 

After moving from Puerto Rico to South Carolina when she was six years old, Perez benefited greatly from English as a second language (ESL) classes. Today, Perez is a junior at South Carolina State University, in Orangeburg, where she is studying middle level education. Soon she will be a middle school ESL teacher, advocating for students like herself.  

As president of her university’s AE chapter and student president of the South Carolina Education Association, Perez isn’t fighting by herself. 

When it comes to making change, she says: “It’s better in numbers. You ​can’t do anything by yourself, especially when it comes to [students and public education].” 

One person can advocate on issues alone, Perez explains, “but the collective power of many voices makes a lot more noise.”

HABITAT

You’ll often find Connectors sitting with a fellow student over coffee or setting up an AE information table during the campus club walk. 

CHARACTERISTICS

A persuasive voice. Part of a connector’s work is asking peers to join the union. These Aspiring Educators ably explain why we’re stronger together.

The heart of an advocate. Connectors are willing to speak up for their peers and future students.

Meet Esther King

When King learned about her AE campus chapter at Stockton University, in Galloway, N.J., she immediately saw the program’s benefits: Education events, conferences, and professional development hosted by the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), and study sessions for the Praxis and EdTPA.

By the time she graduated last May, King had become president of her campus chapter and worked to connect other education majors with the program.

“It was important for our campus chapter to recruit new members and show what we could offer them,” King says. 

“Once they got their foot in the door, they saw the value of our preservice chapter … and the support we ​get from NJEA.” 

She adds: “We always say: The more numbers we have, the more we can do as a chapter.”

HABITAT

Behind most pro-public education elected officials are scores of volunteers, including Aspiring Educators who knock on doors and pound the pavement to get them elected.

CHARACTERISTICS

Strong drive. These members want to elect public officials who have the interests of students at heart and are at the table where decisions are made—whether it’s on a city council, school board, or state legislature. 

Thick skin. Not every election campaign goes negative—but every candidate will be scrutinized.  You’ll need to have thick skin when canvassing for your candidate­, as not everyone will agree with you.

Meet Ryan Grozen 

Grozen, a senior and special education major at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, was tired of seeing how a lack of support and resources affected many of his friends—especially People of Color and people with disabilities. 

In 2022, he joined his AE campus chapter and became politically active, knocking on hundreds of doors during the 2022 midterm elections.

“We canvassed for … pro-public education candidates in Arizona and got the majority of them elected!” Grozen says.

Those wins include the election of Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a strong supporter of public schools and union values. 

“There will always be someone who disagrees with your candidate, but if we’re truly advocating for people who need support and resources, … then we need to work harder to elect people who have our best interest in mind.”

HABITAT 

These Aspiring Educators can be found at chapter meetings sharing anti-racist literature with their peers. One day, they’ll work in classrooms filled with books by diverse authors. 

CHARACTERISTICS 

Willing to be uncomfortable. Conversations about race can be unsettling, but these Aspiring Educators are putting aside their discomfort to focus on what’s best for all students and educators.

Optimistic. Despite generations of White supremacy, which have led to deep-rooted inequities in everything from school funding to home mortgages, these hopeful educators look around and think, “We can
fix this.” 

When they have their own classrooms, they will teach an honest and accurate history of race and racism.

Meet Damia Ali 

For most of her life, Ali attended predominantly White schools. 

“I never saw myself in school spaces,” says Ali, who attends Illinois State University. “That’s why I wanted to be a Black teacher and be [the educator] I needed when I was younger.”  

Ali is the racial and social justice coordinator for the Illinois Education Association’s AE Executive Board. This work is preparing her for a career as a special education teacher, serving students who are at times overlooked. 

HABITAT 

These future educators spend time in the quad or at a coffee house in deep conversation with a friend.

CHARACTERISTICS 

An acute sense of hearing. Amateur observers may think a messenger must be a good talker. Not so! The most effective messengers are better listeners. 

Hopeful. They believe they can make a difference in the classroom! 

Meet Mary Kate Gebhart

While working closely as a volunteer with the Gahanna Special Olympics program, in Ohio, Gebhart discovered her passion for working with individuals with disabilities. 

“Being able to fully understand and communicate is my number one rule when it comes to anything,” Gebhart says. 

In the classroom, she prioritizes listening and creating an inclusive, safe environment. 

Gebhart, a student at Capital University, in Columbus, is not only a messenger for the well-being of her students, but for her colleagues, too. 

She shares: “When one of my peers is having a bad day, ​I say: ‘You’re one step closer to your end goal.”