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NEA Representative Assembly

Each local affiliate is entitled to send one delegate for each 150 members or major fraction. That means if your local has 150 members, (or at least 76 members, the major fraction of 150), you can send one delegate. If you have another 150, you can send a second delegate.  You need 150 members for each delegate.  For any additional members over and above the 150 (or multiples of 150) you can send one more delegate if you have at least 76 more members.

members:

1-75             cluster with other small local(s) to make up 76 +. for 1 delegate

 76-225  =  1 delegate

226-375  =  2 delegates            

376-525  =  3 delegates 

The official count for the number of members comes from the January 2008 NJEA membership report.

In addition, there is an opportunity to represent GCEA as a state delegate. Contact GCEA's election committee person, Corendia Tinsley, for information on that.

I strongly advise and encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. The NEA Representative Assembly, which meets in early July, is an experience not to be missed! NJ usually has about 700 delegates. The annual meeting runs for four days, but there are preliminary activities that necessitate the delegate's attendance for approximately six days. This year the RA will be held in Washington, D.C. This is a great city, and although delegates won't have much spare time, they should try to fit in as much as possible.

Each morning NJ delegates meet in caucus from 7 am to 9 am. We have a full agenda that prepares us for the business to be carried out at the RA.  NJ delegates sit with their county at caucus and at the RA. There are strict rules concerning attendance, and any deviation could mean a loss of funding.

One huge item each year is the collection of donations for the Fund for Children and Public Education, another name for PAC. In 2007 delegates from NJ were expected to donate at least $150. Many delegates worked to achieve this by collecting from colleagues at home prior to coming to the RA.

As you can see, there is a lot of work involved in being a delegate to NEA RA. However, if you ask any former delegates, "Would you do it again?"  The answer is a resounding "YES!" Add your local's voice to the crowd. Send a delegate to NEA RA.