The Power of Union Organizing

As NEA Aspiring Educators (AE), you are the next generation of educators, union leaders, and organizers—and, together, you are already fighting for a better tomorrow. 

“We all want what's best for students in public education,” says Michele O’Neill, NEA’s organizing specialist for AE. “And the only way we can improve working and learning conditions is by working together.”

Union organizing unites people to move toward a common goal, and every AE member has an important role to play. Here are some basics about how organizing works, and how it can impact you, your campus chapter, and your future profession.

What is organizing?

For most college students, organizing can mean anything from rearranging your closet to planning a party. But in the union world it means something specific: Bringing people together to turn shared concerns into collective action, and empowering individuals to act and lead others to improve their workplaces and communities.

Why it matters?

“You might not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you and everything about your classroom, your school, the resources your students have access to—it's political,” says Lindsey Jensen, the Illinois Education Association’s early career and AE director. “It's all policy-driven."

Policy decisions dictate the resources that future teachers have to prepare for their careers, the content of  teacher preparation programs—such as culturally responsive teaching, literacy instruction, and classroom management—and access to these programs. By organizing, AE members can influence decisions and gain the supports that make success possible. 

What does organizing look like? 

Organizing on college campuses often begins with building AE campus chapters. These chapters give future teachers a space to connect, share concerns, and plan collective action. 

A key part of this work is leadership development. NEA and its affiliates offer professional development, helping AE members learn to facilitate meetings, lead campaigns, and recruit peers. The goal is to ensure they gain the skills to advocate for themselves and their profession.

Organizing also takes shape through issue-based campaigns, such as advocating for paid student teaching and stronger campus support services. 

In several states, AE members have organized petitions, testified before lawmakers, and worked alongside their state union to secure stipends for student teachers. Much of this work happens through one-on-one conversations, where peers talk to each other about why joining and acting together matters.

Campus organizing also includes building coalitions with other student groups. These partnerships strengthen solidarity and amplify student voice. Organizing is also about making your chapter visible in as many spaces as possible, such as at campus events and other public forums.

Where do you start?

The first step is to recruit as many members as possible, O’Neill says, by building relationships with classmates and other allies.

“Each one of us is just one person, and we can do a lot, but when we share our information and knowledge, it allows people to connect with us and … helps them to feel like they're part of something,” she says.

When advocating for legislation to win paid student teaching, one of the most effective strategies is to collect personal testimonies from AE members. Their stories can show how unpaid work strains their finances, forces them into multiple jobs, and limits their ability to focus on finishing their degree. Compelling stories demonstrate the urgency of legislative change. 

And organizing works best when more people are involved. AE members can team up with their peers, advisors, unions, and community members to grow their base and increase pressure on legislators. 

An important first step is to check in with fellow members to see what’s important to them and what issues you can organize around. 

How can Aspiring Educators organize safely?

In an increasingly polarized political climate, O’Neill says, it's important to put safeguards in place. Don’t post photos of an event without everyone’s permission and stick together in groups when canvassing. Also, avoid using your real phone number when contacting university administrators, potential supporters, or the public, and use an app like Google Voice instead.

O’Neill suggests  letting people know where you’re going and who you may be with, too. 

“People need to be able to keep safe, but just realizing that you have rights and not being afraid to invoke your rights, too, if anything happens— that's also really important,” she adds.

Those rights include free speech, which allows college students to express their views and take part in protests, as long as they follow reasonable campus rules. You also have the right to due process, which ensures fairness if you face disciplinary action. For example, students must be informed of the charges against them and given a chance to respond. Plus, colleges are responsible for students’ safety and well-being, which includes maintaining a campus free from violence, harassment, and threats, and providing support when incidents occur. Equally as important, students have the right to associate and organize, whether by forming advocacy groups, or building unions to amplify their collective voice.

“Everybody's willing to do something when they care about [an issue],” O'Neill says. “And if they're willing to do this [action] this time, maybe you could get them to do something else next time.”

Watch Aspiring Educator Stephanie Chavez from Illinois speak more about paid student teaching.

Why should you connect with NEA state affiliates?

Your state union can help create a sense of community for AE members, provide resources, and help campus chapters workshop problems or ideas. 

Jensen says she focuses on providing meaningful programming for AE members  in her state, including bringing them to the State House and to NEA conventions. 

“Now more than ever, … as educators, we need to be activists. We need to be organizers for public education. We need to fight and protect public education,” she says.

For new campus chapters, Jensen suggests focusing on one of the four core AE values: Educator equality, community engagement, political action, and racial and social justice. From there, run projects that focus on each one throughout the year. She also recommends coordinating with your state affiliate to participate in larger statewide campaigns.

Get into the rooms where decisions are being made, whether that’s showing up to community forums at your university or speaking with your state legislators. Create actionable goals to advocate for your cause, such as aiming for a specific number of names on a petition, passing a piece of legislation, or raising awareness about an important issue through a social media campaign. 

“I always say we have to stop looking at things as they are and imagine them as they could be,” Jensen says. “Working with Aspiring Ed makes me feel like we're on the cusp of change.”