Strong. Stable. Solid

MEA Executive Director Rachelle Johnson & MEA President Grace Leavitt

On May 22 & 23, MEA held its second virtual Representative Assembly because of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. Over 100 delegates joined us to celebrate with a theme of “Spring Forward Together” which was appropriate given new positive developments on the pandemic front. While we still must be mindful about how we proceed in these changing times, it is a relief to know that the world is emerging from the pandemic and moving forward towards something a little more “normal.”

As your Executive Director, I was fortunate enough to provide some remarks to the delegates about my observations about MEA and our future. Given my diverse work experience in the NEA family, I can honestly say that MEA is strong, stable, and solid. We have weathered many storms (not all weather-related) and have dealt with many challenges (elections, global pandemic, etc.) over the last decade that have forced us to be resilient as an entity and membership.

So why do I say we are strong, stable, and solid? Three reasons.

First, MEA is financially stable. Our finances are well managed, and we have had and have strong fiduciaries at the helm on both the staff and leadership teams. MEA has solid fiscally responsible accounting principles in place which result in clean audits. The organization maintains a balanced budget approach to insure we are operating Second, our membership base is strong and growing. We have grown by over 750 members in the last 5 years, with an increase of over 120 members this year alone. We are one of a small handful of states in the NEA family who are growing during Covid, in large part to the timely response MEA had to the needs of our members during this pandemic. MEA has participated in NEA’s early enrollment program for the last 3 years which has helped contribute to that continued growth in numbers.

Third, MEA has a solid infrastructure which highlights the partnership between the staff and governance sides of the organization. This teamwork has been important to help move the organization’s priority goals and core values forward. The MEA staff are dedicated to the members and committed to public education. The MEA Board of Directors regularly engages in tough conversations about the direction of the union and the challenges we are currently experiencing and those ahead.

So, what next?

Even with all those characteristics, to remain relevant, any organization must continue to evolve and evaluate how and why they are doing what they are doing. To continue to grow, we must do the same. I have continually asked the following questions. Are we using our resources – dollars, time, energy, people – in the right ways for the right goals in the right amounts to move the union’s mission forward? Are we engaging potential members in the right ways, using the right communication tools? How can we be more inclusive so that all folks in the education profession at any point in their careers, in any aspect of public education see themselves and see a space to participate in their union?

To help us answer those questions, MEA is engaging with our members and potential members in multiple ways to gather the information we need to make sound decisions on how best to evolve our strong, stable, and solid organization so that we continue to meet the needs of our members and public education. We are also developing new communication tools to be responsive to the changing needs of new and current members alike. It is this analysis and responsiveness that will guarantee MEA’s viability and longevity for many years to come.

As I said to the RA delegates, it is an exciting time to be part of MEA. As we “Spring Forward Together,” let’s invite others to join us so we can continue to be strong, stable and solid.

Stay safe and well.

Rachelle Johnson MEA Executive Director