Vision, Mission, and Values

NEA has remained constant in its commitment to its original mission, as evidenced by our current organizational purpose which includes our Vision, Mission and Values (also available as a PDF file, 1p, 563k).

NEA also believes every child in America, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education. In pursuing its mission, NEA has determined that we will focus the energy and resources of our 3.2 million members on improving the quality of teaching, increasing student achievement and making schools safer, better places to learn.

Code of Ethics

In 1929, NEA members adopted The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, which "indicates the aspiration of all educators and provides standards by which to judge conduct."

Adopted at the 2006 NEA Representative Assembly

We, the members of the National Education Association of the United States, are the voice of education professionals. Our work is fundamental to the nation, and we accept the profound trust placed in us.

Our Vision

Our vision is a great public school for every student.

Our Mission

Our mission is to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world.

Our Core Values

These principles guide our work and define our mission:

Equal Opportunity
We believe public education is the gateway to opportunity. All students have the human and civil right to a quality public education that develops their potential, independence, and character.

A Just Society
We believe public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our diverse society.

Democracy
We believe public education is the cornerstone of our republic. Public education provides individuals with the skills to be involved, informed, and engaged in our representative democracy.

Professionalism
We believe that the expertise and judgment of education professionals are critical to student success. We maintain the highest professional standards, and we expect the status, compensation, and respect due all professionals.

Partnership
We believe partnerships with parents, families, communities, and other stakeholders are essential to quality public education and student success.

Collective Action
We believe individuals are strengthened when they work together for the common good. As education professionals, we improve both our professional status and the quality of public education when we unite and advocate collectively.

A PDF version ( 1p, 28KB) of this document is available.

I. Introduction

The National Education Association ("NEA") values the trust and privacy of its members and other supporters. This Privacy Policy sets forth NEA's practices regarding: (1) what personal information we collect about you — both online via the NEA website and NEA Intranet and offline via traditional, hard copy forms; (2) how we use that information; (3) under what circumstances we disclose it; (4) what choices are available to you regarding such information collection; and, (5) what security we use to protect such information. This Privacy Policy also provides some additional information for users of the NEA website and NEA Intranet.

II. Definitions

As used in this Privacy Policy, the following terms have the meanings indicated below:

The term "we" or "us" means NEA.
 

1. The term "you" means a current or former NEA member or other person who has provided personal information to us in connection with obtaining an NEA product or service (e.g. a person who has purchased a book from the NEA Professional Library or a person who subscribes to an NEA-produced electronic newsletter).
    
2. The term "personal information" means any piece of information that on its own can specifically identify a current or former NEA member or other person who has provided personal information to us in connection with obtaining an NEA product or service. This would include, but is not limited to, full name, postal address, e-mail address, social security number, or financial information.
    
3. The term "NEA website" means NEA's external website located at: nea.org and any future websites that we may develop.
    
4. The term "NEA Intranet" means NEA's internal, private, and secured website for local leaders and staff.
    
5. The term "NEA-related organizations" means NEA's Member Benefits Corporation, NEA Member Insurance Trust, NEA Foundation, NEA Health Information Network, and any other entity created by NEA.
    
6. The term "third party" means a legal entity that is separate and independent from NEA, its state and local affiliates, or any NEA-related organization.
    
7. The term "cookie" means a small file that is placed on your computer that allows a website to store, and sometimes track, information about how you use that website.
    
8. The term "discussion forum" means an asynchronous website component that enables users to exchange ideas by posting questions and answers on relevant subjects. Discussion forums are also commonly referred to as "discussion groups," "discussion boards," "message boards," "bulletin boards," and "online forums."

III. Personal Information Collected

We may collect personal information about you from the following sources:

1. Personal Information that you voluntarily provide to us on your membership application and other NEA forms — whether online via the NEA website or NEA Intranet or offline via traditional, hard copy forms (such as your name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, social security number, etc.).
    
2. Other Personal Information that you voluntarily provide to us via the NEA website or NEA Intranet (such as an e-mail address if you subscribe to an NEA-produced electronic newsletter or other personal information contained in an e-mail that you send to us via the feedback feature of the NEA website).
    
3. Personal Information that we receive from our state and local affiliates or other NEA-related organizations (such as your name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, social security number, etc.).
    
4. Personal Information that we receive from third parties (such as insurance claim information in connection with the NEA Educators Employment Liability Program and publicly available voter registration information).

IV. How We Use That Information

The personal information that NEA collects about you helps us and our state and local affiliates and NEA-related organizations to efficiently and effectively represent you and provide you with valuable member benefits.

V. Information Sharing

In order to provide you with efficient and effective representation and member benefits, we routinely share all of the personal information that we collect about you, as described in Section III above, with our state and local affiliates and NEA-related organizations, as well as third parties that perform services on our behalf.

Additionally, we may share any of the personal information that we collect about you, as described in Section III above, with certain third parties that share our interests or as otherwise permitted by law.

VI. Available Choices

Any personal information that you provide to us is voluntary. NEA members may update their personal information at any time. For information on how to contact us, please visit the NEA website at: www.nea.org/aboutnea/contact.html.

If you subscribe to any NEA-produced electronic newsletter, you may cancel your subscription at any time by following the instructions at the bottom of all such newsletters. If you have any problems canceling such a subscription, please contact us at www-registration@list.nea.org.

VII. Your California Privacy Rights

California residents have a right under state law to ask entities with whom they have an established business relationship to provide certain information regarding the sharing of personal information for direct marketing purposes during the past year. NEA will honor such a request coming from any current or former NEA member or other person who has provided personal information to us in connection with obtaining an NEA product or service — whether residing in California or not. Simply submit a request to us at one of the following addresses: www-registration@list.nea.org or NEA Office of General Counsel, 1201 16th Street, N.W., Washington DC 20036, and we will respond within thirty days of receiving your request.

VIII. Information Security

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to: (1) insure the security and confidentiality of your personal information; (2) protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such information; and (3) protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information. For more information on our information security, contact NEA at www-registration@list.nea.org to request a copy of the NEA Information Security Program.

IX. Additional Information for Users of the NEA Web Site or NEA Intranet

1. Collection and Use of Non-Personal Information
   If you use the NEA website or the NEA Intranet, you provide us with certain non-personal information in addition to any personal information that you may voluntarily provide. For example, if you browse the NEA website or NEA Intranet or download information, our operating system automatically records the following non-personal information:
   
   
   1. The Internet domain for your Internet service (such as "xcompany.com" or "xcompany.net" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourcollege.edu" if you connect from a college or university domain);
       
   2. The type of browser that you use (such as "America Online version 7" or "Microsoft Internet Explorer 5");
       
   3. The type of operating system that you use (such as Windows or Macintosh);
       
   4. The date and time that you visit the NEA website or NEA Intranet and the webpages that you view;
       
   5. The address of the previous website that you visited if you linked to us from another website; and
       
   6. The address of the next website that you visit if you link to it from the NEA website or NEA Intranet.
       
   We use the above non-personal information to diagnose technical problems and track user interests so that we can provide content that interests you.
   
   We gather this non-personal information in the aggregate and we share it in the same manner that we share personal information, as described in Section V above.
    
2. Cookies
   We use cookies to track what you are viewing when you visit the NEA website and NEA Intranet, and to enhance your user experience. In order to provide you with customized content and an enhanced user experience, certain cookies used by NEA identify you as an individual. If you are concerned about NEA's use of cookies, check your Internet browser. Most have a setting that will allow you to reject cookies. However, some NEA features and services may not function properly if your cookies are disabled.
   
   Additionally, NEA allows third parties who advertise or provide content on the NEA website or NEA Intranet to use cookies. Third parties' use of cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, and is not governed by this Privacy Policy.
    
3. Discussion Forums
   If you participate in a discussion forum on the NEA website or NEA Intranet, your comments, along with any personal information that you voluntarily disclose, may be collected, used, and shared by anyone with access to that forum. We are not responsible for the personal information that you choose to submit in a discussion forum.
    
4. Children
   The NEA website and NEA Intranet are general websites, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 13.
    
5. External Links
   This Privacy Policy applies only to the NEA website and NEA Intranet. It does not cover any websites that are linked to or from the NEA website or NEA Intranet for which we are not responsible ("linked-sites"). These linked-sites will have their own policies and practices which may be different from ours. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the policies and practices of the linked-sites especially if you provide personal information to them.

X. Effective Date, Amendments, and Consent to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is effective April 3, 2007. We retain the right to amend or otherwise update this Privacy Policy at any time for any reason. By joining NEA or using the NEA website or NEA Intranet, you consent to the collection, use, and sharing of personal information as we have described herein. If we amend or update our Privacy Policy, we will post the changes online at the NEA website and NEA Intranet so that you are always aware of NEA's current practices. You may also contact us at www-registration@list.nea.org at any time to request an up-to-date hard copy version of the Privacy Policy.

XI. Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, you can contact NEA at www-registration@list.nea.org.

Members' Stories

For nearly 150 years, NEA has played a major role in education and the teaching profession. And you've been a part of that history -- as witnesses, advocates, and members. Here's what some members have written about their history with the Association:

• Test Case for Maternity Leave  - Nancy-Jo Caplan (Massachusetts)
  
  
• Impact on My Career & Me as a Person - Kathryn DeCola (Virginia)
  
  
• Beyond Teacher Pay - Walker McGinnis (Alabama)
  
  
• Access to Latest Special Ed News - Bruce Mulder (Minnesota)
  
  
• Associations Keep Me on the Cutting Edge - Wanda Newman (Maryland)
  
  
• NEA Helped Shape My Professional Life - John T. Riley (Maryland)
  

Now, tell us about your history with the Association. Share your story.