About the Education Summer Campaign (Ed Summer)

Ed Summer supports state and local associations in advancing organizing campaigns, membership growth, and supporting new hire recruitment (NEOs). Additionally:

• Strength Building Goals: Too frequently, our union is limited in its reach and power due to the lack structural support to develop and implement internal or external organizing campaigns. These structural supports include but are not limited to the following: Contract Action Teams (CAT), school board action teams, political action teams, organizing committees, early career educator committees, among others.
• Organizing Building Goals: Building membership and structural organizing capacity are critical steps to prepare the union to lift educators’ voices, build power, and leverage this power to win for our students, educators, and communities. Examples of organizing goals include anti-privatization measures, contract campaigns, increasing public education funding, and passing progressive school board policies.

The Education Summer campaign is part of our Year-Round Organizing Framework, which is designed to work with educators throughout important cycles of their year. Other components of the Year-Round Organizing Framework include:  

• Back-to-School
• Winter Worksite
• Early Enrollment

Year-Round Organizing Cards

The Year-Round Organizing card is an important tool for gathering the contact information of educators who are interested in learning about or getting more involved in the union. When educators fill out the card, they will receive opportunities that: 

• Support educators to grow in their professional practice.  
• Help elect pro-public education candidates from both parties.  
• Get the word out about ways to work together to improve working conditions.  
• Work to increase education funding at your school, district and state. 

The data from this form is then shared with organizers to ensure they are followed up with! Learn ways to incorporate the Year-Round Organizing cards into your organizing plan in our communications toolkit.

Our Toolkit

Our Guide to New Hire Orientations

A big part of our Ed Summer campaign is building the infrastructure and programming for a successful back-to-school organizing push. New hire orientations are an important time to meet new hires and start off your relationship on the right foot. Planning for these organizing opportunities should begin during your Ed Summer campaign. Our guide to new hire orientations offers tips and tools to build your welcome team, plan engaging programming, and prepare a follow-up strategy.

Our Guide

Campaign staff within NEA’s Center for Organizing will keep you informed of the latest developments throughout the Early Enrollment campaign season. Contact us at [email protected].

Questions?

Please email [email protected] if you’d like to be connected with the AFSE Organizational Specialist assigned to your state affiliate who can assist you with developing an organizing campaign tailored towards your affiliate’s specific needs.

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