As Educators... We Are Our Union
As educators, we are our union, and we make decisions democratically. Local unions hold elections for roles like president, vice president and secretary. These local leadership teams then make decisions on behalf of the members of the local. Locals often have other leadership roles available as well -- you can serve on a meet-and-confer team and help negotiate over the contract for educators in your district, or perhaps on a committee to plan social events.
If you're interested in local leadership, reach out to your local! This is also the best way to learn about opportunities to weigh in on decisions at the state and national level. Join fellow educators in making decisions and steering our union according to our shared values and collective goals!
AEA Governing Documents
The AEA Constitution and Bylaws lay out how decisions are made in our union. If you have questions about these important documents, please reach out and get in touch.
AEA RESOLUTIONS
Resolutions are formal expressions of opinion, intent, belief, or position of the Association.
AEA LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
The Legislative Platform provides the basis for legislative and policy initiatives that support our pursuit of AEA’s Mission: Keeping the Promise of Quality Public Education.
2025-2026 Legislative Platform
AEA STANDING RULES
The Standing Rules govern the proceedings of the Delegate Assembly, outlining rules for debate, elections, and procedures for amending governing documents.
NEA's Annual Representative Assembly
The National Education Association's Representative Assembly is the governing body of the 3 million members of NEA. Each year, hundreds of RA delegates from across the country meet to discuss policy, determine direction, and pass a budget for NEA.
The 2026 Representative Assembly will take place from July 3 - 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
Each year, AEA sends a delegation of union educators to represent our state at NEA-RA. There are a few types of delegates; statewide, regional, student, and retired delegates are elected by all AEA members through an online voting system, while local delegates are elected at the local level. If you have questions about the nomination process, please contact [email protected].
For reference: 2026 NEA-RA Delegate Election Guidance & Districts
AEA's Annual Delegate Assembly
AEA's Delegate Assembly is the governing body for our statewide union. Every year, more than 600 educators are selected by their local unions to attend DA, where they elect members of AEA Board of Directors and discuss, debate and vote on policy resolutions and proposed amendments to the AEA constitution and bylaws. DA delegates also elect AEA's President, Vice President and Treasurer every three years.
The 2026 Delegate Assembly will take place from May 8-9 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The following positions will be up for election at the 2026 Delegate Assembly.
- Board of Directors Open Positions
- NEA Director, 3-year term
- ESP At-Large Director, 3-year term
- Region 2 Director, 3-year term
- Region 15 Director, 3-year term
- Region 16 Director, 3-year term
- Region 1 Alternate Director, completing 1-year term
- Region 11 Alternate Director, completing 1-year term
- Region 13 Alternate Director, completing 1-year term
- Region 15 Alternate Director, 3-year term
The deadline for nominations to the AEA Board of Directors is January 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM MST. Nominations must be submitted using the link below.
Board of Directors Nomination Form
For reference: 2026-2027 AEA Governance Regions
Local Officer Teams
Finally, each of our local unions has an officer team that guides and steers the local. These officer teams are chosen democratically by the members of that local association. Your local association will send you information about the elections process for local officer teams.
Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
The Board of Directors meeting agenda will be available 24 hours before each meeting at the link below: Meeting Agenda