NEA ELA Field Training

by PTFA President Jennifer Rueda

Yours truly was nominated for some wonderful NEA leadership training last December. I had no idea what to expect, not having had much union experience, but found a very exceptionally professional organization in the NEA. The training is called ELA (Emerging Leaders Academy) and it takes one year to complete. I’ve previously written about the interview process and the initial training, which were held in Washington DC.

My ELA training cadre is a group of 22 full-timers, part-timers, classified and para-professionals from all over the country. On the last day of our training in Washington DC last June, we choose 5 people for our “front team”. These five folks (with help and support from our NEA training cadre) took on the additional responsibility to fly to California, where they interviewed members of the California Teachers’ Association and the Chaffey (Community) College local association in order to help the local organize a membership drive.

I’m pleased to be able to do this because I’ve wanted to meet face-to-face with many of our membership, following up with an online survey. With this information, I think the PTFA board and I could better represent the association and begin preparations for the next round of bargaining (in a mere two short years).

Be ready! Our at-large board member Ivan Mancinelli-Franconi has designed a survey. Once I return from my “field experience”, the board and I will begin reaching out to all of you. We will want to introduce ourselves, explain how the PTFA works and how it benefits everyone, invite those of you who haven’t joined the OEA to do so, and we’d like to pick your brain. We are very interested in finding out how many of our members work only for CCC, work for multiple institutions, want to work only for CCC, want to work full-time with benefits, or are very happy with the way their lives are structured (e.g. part-time teaching, kids at home, secondary job, full-time job elsewhere).

I’m not sure what our “reaching” out to you will look like. We’ll probably send some emails, make some calls, and come meet you in your office or place of your choosing. Additionally, we can always schedule a coffee/tea party for your whole building.