The National Education Association Representative Assembly (NEA RA) is set to begin this week in Portland, Oregon. The Idaho Education Association (IEA) is participating by sending over 20 delegates to the annual event.
The NEA RA will officially take place from July 3-6. However, IEA leadership has already arrived in Portland last week to participate in preliminary meetings ahead of the assembly.
This assembly is notable for being the largest democratic deliberative assembly globally, drawing thousands of educators from across the nation. These participants come together to decide on the NEA’s agenda for the coming year. For example, California alone sends approximately 1,000 delegates to this significant gathering.
IEA delegates will engage in several NEA subcommittees focused on determining aspects such as the national union’s budget and legislative amendments, along with bylaws, resolutions, and new business items. The IEA forms part of The Northern Tier—a voting bloc that includes associations from states with similar size profiles located in the western United States—characterized by more conservative and rural leanings.
For those interested in following developments at the assembly, updates can be found on IEA’s Instagram and Facebook pages or through posts on IEA Reporter.
