About the Winter Worksite Campaign

Winter Worksite organizing is not a program or bootcamp, but rather funding that directly supports educator voice campaigns to grow and strengthen local and state affiliates. 

Organizing Principles

Integrated Comprehensive Issue-Based Organizing Campaigns are animated by the following principles.

• Issues Matter. Sustained membership growth and retention are outcomes of authentic engagement on issues that our members have identified as priorities. Issues may vary, but there is always a traceable connection to educator voice.
• Winning Matters. We must run campaigns and programs firmly anchored in achieving the demands related to our members’ priorities. Wins could be school board policies, new contract language, legislation, or any policy or practice change that meets the demands articulated by our members.
• Funding Matters. Almost all our members’ demands have one thing in common: they cost money. Money that most districts do not have. This means that campaigns cannot end with the new school board policy or improved contract language. We must ensure there is a consistent funding source to meet members’ student-centered demands.
• Integrating Local and State Affiliate Campaigns Matter. We believe that opportunities for deep structural changes affiliate membership growth depend upon building integrated local and state affiliate campaigns and programs that support both. This only happens when all affiliate stakeholders involved from the beginning, to ensure that their voices are heard in the campaign planning process and that all parties understand the local and state campaign plan to win!

Campaign Organizing Model

This campaign strategy focuses first on identifying local priorities through surveys and one-on-one conversations with educators, students, and community members. During this organizing period, affiliates will also develop and strengthen their internal organizing capacity, by building out organizing committee, building representative structures, and assess leaders and structures. Then, education associations and their coalition partners will generate demands related to these priorities.

Priorities and demands can create a policy agenda for local school board races, inform the state affiliate’s legislative priorities, and help shape the revenue demands that the affiliate will make of the state legislature and governor.

The Winter Worksite 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
• Education Summer
• Early Enrollment

Worksite Visits 101

Worksite visits are great ways to have one-on-one organizing conversations with as many members and potential members as possible. Use this guide to make the most of your time, whether you are making a solo visit or hosting a worksite blitz.

Goals for worksite visits and blitzes can include: 

• Recruit Potential Members 
• Engage Current Members 
• Identify Potential Issues to Organize Around 
• Identify Potential Activists 
• Identify Potential Leaders 
• Update Member and Potential Member Contact Information 

Our Guide to Worksite Visits

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.

CONTACT US