NDEA Offers Members A 'World of Discounts'

Hang on to last year’s NDEA Membership/Access Savings Card. This card doubles as both your membership card and as a valuable savings card for one more year.   It gives you access to savings at over 150,000 locations worldwide.   Cards will be sent out to new members and those requesting a new card because it was somehow lost.

In order to put this NDEA benefit to work.   Just follow these easy steps (if you haven’t already done so) and soon you’ll be saving money on things you buy everyday:

1. Activate online or by phone.  Just follow the instructions listed on the back of your card.
2. Discover discounts where you are - or plan to be - simply by entering a ZIP code into the box marked find discounts.
3. Click on a merchant and follow the redemption instructions. You’ll be on your way to savings in no time!

Among the places you can save are restaurants, stores, movie theaters, auto repair shops and more - all ready to save you money just because you are an NDEA member.  The savings include not only on-line shopping at top national brand Web sites but also thousands of local businesses throughout the nation.  You will want to return to the NDEA website, www.ndea.org, and check the new businesses and discount programs added regularly.

An example of savings for NDEA members is the Access Travel Service Center.  At the Travel Service Center, you’ll discover a host of competitive rates on airfare, cruises, travel packages and over 75,000 hotels worldwide including many in North Dakota.  Simply click Access Travel Services of the Access Savings site and you’re on your way to exciting destinations around the world.

Questions?  We’re here to help.  Simply call the toll-free customer service number on the back of your card (1-888-888-8888) and a friendly representative will assist you.

We hope you enjoy this valuable benefit and all the other services you receive as an NDEA member.   It’s just one more way to say thank you for your hard work and valuable service.

  Join today!

Why Belong

Join NDEA . . . Together, we can build great public schools.

NDEA is 8,000 dedicated teachers and school professionals working in classrooms, school offices, on buses and in cafeterias to keep the promise of quality public education. We belong to NDEA because we believe that together we can build better schools for all of our children. NDEA is the largest and most effective education group in North Dakota. NDEA is the voice of North Dakota's children, educators, and public schools. Belonging to the Association is an investment in your future, your career, and your profession.

Ten Ways Membership Means More

Ten ways you can count on NDEA membership, from discounts and legal assistance to lobbying the legislature.
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Keeping the Promise

Read about ways you can become involved and the great things NDEA has done to promote quality public education in North Dakota.
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Join the Association, for your profession, for your students, for yourself as an educator.

North Dakota Education News -   NDEA's all-member newspaper containing education issues, features on member successes, innovative programs, legislative action, member resources and more is published seven times a year in September, October, November, January, February, March and May.

Legislative Update - news about what's happening on education issues at the North Dakota Legislature, including opportunities to contact legislators about bills that need support or opposition.

NDEA Cyberline – an electronic news service for Association members in North Dakota. Through the cyberline, the Association sends out important information, as well as up-to-the-minute breaking news. During the legislative session, the Cyberline also doubles as a legislative alert, bringing you frequent updates and calls to action as events dictate.

Join Your Association Today

To improve your standard of living and your profession, consider these important reasons to join the Association   . It's the best professional decision that you can make for your future and the future of North Dakota education.

YOUR CONTRACT: Thanks to the exclusive efforts of your local bargaining team, supported by your UniServ staff , you have a solid contract that improves your working, teaching and living conditions---every single day---every single year.

YOU HAVE A VOICE in your building, in your school district, in the NDEA General Assembly, before the Legislature and even in the U.S. Congress. Thanks to the unified efforts of the Association, public educators' needs and concerns are represented and expressed wherever and whenever education decisions are made.

JOB SECURITY: Even in the tough economic times, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Association, educators' jobs are protected. Every day Association lobbying efforts are working protecting jobs, salaries, benefits, and members' rights.

MEMBER BENEFITS: It's still true. Membership doesn't cost; it pays. Membership provides you with a variety of important programs and benefits: attorney referral, liability insurance , car insurance, magazine subscriptions and NDEA's own Dues Credit Trust.

UNISERV STAFF SUPPORT: As a member, you are never "out there on your own." You always have the support and advice of your UniServ director to provide guidance, to answer questions, simply to make your job easier. It's good to know that UniServ directors  are acknowledged experts in school law, collective bargaining and member rights. They are experienced and are available to help every member. At all times, professional help is just a phone call away!

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH: Today is an exciting time to be a public school educator. Education is facing change like never before. Kids have changed. You are dealing with the most diverse group of students North Dakota has ever seen. To stay on the cutting edge in professional development, NDEA helps members do even more effective jobs when working with students. Check out the NEA web site at www.nea.org for the newest professional development concepts. Sign on today.

STRENGTHENING PUBLIC EDUCATION: North Dakota's public schools continue to be the best hope for the children enrolled in them. The Association is committed to quality schools, certified quality teachers, and quality students. And we NEED YOU to be a part of our efforts.

IT'S SIMPLY THE PROFESSIONAL THING TO DO:  Simply sign up: education professionals support and join their professional organization. Just like lawyers, doctors, realtors and accountants---professional educators realize that education improves through the efforts of committed professionals working together with common goals and a common vision. NDEA cares about you and your profession. Because our members matter, NDEA represents you every single day---12 months a year.

VALUABLE RESOURCES: Whether it's the NDEA web site, NEA's electronic Works4You, our monthly newspaper North Dakota Education News, our Cyberline, NEA's web site, or NEA Today , the Association provides a wide variety of free or very low cost education resources to members. NDEA also provides the fall Instructional Conference  at no cost to members.

Join Today!

Increased education funding to improve teachers compensation is always the number one item in NDEA's  Legislative Agenda. NDEA members help achieve that goal through contributions to Every Member Option (EMO).

Here's why members contribute:

• Elected officials make decisions that affect children and public education. EMO contributions are an investment in the future of education.
• NDEA-recommended candidates passed legislation in previous sessions that provided educators their largest pay increase in 17 years; they established the Education Standards and Practices Board, secured bargaining rights, improved retirement benefits, and provided fair dismissal laws. NDEA-recommended candidates have defeated legislation to pay for private education with public dollars and impose merit-pay schemes.
• It is expensive to run for office. EMO contributions help elect "friends of education" and defeat those who vote to undermine public education.
• EMO contributions are reserved for North Dakota candidates. No EMO dollars are sent to NEA.
• Only NDEA recommended candidates who support our issues are eligible to receive EMO dollars.
• The number one reason to contribute to EMO is NDEA members are tired of being "50th."

EMO contributions help elect those who will vote for increased teacher compensation and K-12 education funding.

Stay Clear of Troublemakers

You know the ones---people who cause stress with their complaints, their demands or their ability to get your goat. Once you identify those people who continually give you grief, do your best to stay clear, for your own sake. Can't stay away? Then be diplomatic---avoid a direct confrontation. Tying up your energy with troublemakers is wasted time and effort.

Surround Yourself With Friends

You don't need a lot, just a few good ones. Friends listen without advising (unless asked). Friends care how you feel. Friends know when you need a lift. Best of all, friends know how to help you pick yourself up and get going again after a hard day.

Balance Your Life

Too much of anything is bad for you. Why not take some time to put your life into balance? As a teacher you give to others, and as a parent, spouse or friend, you also give of yourself. But maybe you should consider your own personal interests, too. Hobbies, volunteer work, or just time spent pursuing a personal dream are all worth making time for.

Pick Your Battles

Not every fight is worth the effort. If you struggle over every issue, you may not have energy left to defend what matters to you most. It's easy to think that each conflict needs your attention, but like everyone else, your time is limited. Choose what you will do battle over and leave the rest for another day.

Keep the Faith

Teaching is not a short-term endeavor. It requires vision to see the difference you make in the whole life of a child, not just in one day. It requires faith to know that what you do matters. Even on the worst day teaching, your efforts contribute to making the world a better place.

Visit the NEA Member Benefits Website at www.neamb.com. This site is a convenient source of information about products and services, and you will find a number of practical features such as:

• Monthly Giveaways. Just by registering on the site, you could join a growing number of winners who have received digital cameras, gift certificates, and DVD players, among other prizes.
• More than 75 Financial Calculators. Easy-to-use tools to assist in important financial decisions, for example, IRAs: (Should I convert my IRA into a Roth IRA?)
• On-line Applications and Order Forms. Save valuable time by ordering products and submitting applications on-line.
• Free for Members. You can request free member education guides, including the popular 23 Financial Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make, or information about retirement planning.

Remember to visit www.neamb.com often or call toll free at 1-800-637-4636.

  Join today!

Help Keep the Promise . . . Join NDEA!

Keep the promise for public schools

When you join the Association, you join thousands of members who speak out for quality education at their schools, at the district office, at the North Dakota Legislature, and in Congress. NDEA's leaders and members are actively involved with parents, school officials, and community leaders in increasing the respect with which public schools, children and educators are treated.

Keep the promise for your profession

Joining NDEA is an investment in your career. When you join NDEA, you become part of a community of colleagues who can help and advise you. You can network and connect with others who face the same issues and have the same concerns as you.

Keep the promise for your colleagues and students

Your local association negotiates with your school district your teaching conditions and the learning conditions of your students. NDEA provides local leaders the training they need to negotiate effectively and work collaboratively with school officials to make meaningful, positive changes in schools.

Keep the promise for yourself

Through its local offices and at statewide conferences, NDEA offers top-quality, skill-building seminars and workshops on topics including Prop 301, student achievement, time management, assertive communications, leadership, parental involvement, and communications. When you get involved in your local association, you receive special training opportunities to enhance your personal leadership skills-skills that carry over into your classroom work.

The promise of exclusive benefits

Your membership in NDEA offers protection and savings. Protection through the best liability insurance available anywhere-with $1 million coverage-should you ever be sued for an incident at school, as well as personal and legal assistance should you have trouble on the job. As an NDEA member you receive valuable discounts on financial services, entertainment, and insurance that can easily save you more than the investment in dues.

 Join today!

Help others share the joys of belonging

Welcome back to the new school year. Your Association membership means more. Take a moment to share the value of membership with colleagues who don't realize what they're missing. Check out the promotional information, including ten reasons why membership matters. New teachers might enjoy the tips in the New Teacher planning book. Every voice counts in NDEA. Help us grow.

All members get valuable, automatic term-life insurance coverage provided by NEA DUES-TAB. Coverage includes $1,000 in term life insurance, $5,000 in accidental death and dismemberment coverage, and up to $50,000 in AD&D insurance for any covered accident on the job or while you're serving as an Association leader. There's no catch, except you must register your beneficiary to activate the policy. Do it now! Visit NEA Member Benefits, or call (800) 637-4636.

DID YOU KNOW...The NDEA/NEA Attorney Referral Program provides members with legal advice on personal matters? Each eligible member is entitled to two 30-minute consultation sessions (if on different legal matters) free during each membership year. And, if you need additional legal help, the Attorney Referral Program lets you get that help at rates below participating attorney's usual fees. Legal services under this program include wills and estates, real estate, domestic relations, consumer protection and traffic violations.

Click here for more information.

If you wish to use the Attorney Referral Program, please contact your UniServ director.

 Join today!

Why Membership Means More

1. Local action

Through your local association, you are part of the negotiations process with your school district. You have a say in decisions about your working conditions, your salaries and benefits, your class sizes, and the professional growth opportunities you have.

2. Information

NDEA is your best source of accurate, timely, education information, award-winning publications-magazines and special newsletters, e-mail listservs for news, grant opportunities, and legislative updates, as well as a Web site, www.ndea.org, with a section exclusively for members. In addition, NDEA staff keeps on top of current education laws, regulations, and policies. The latest update is merely a phone call or mouse click away.

3. Lobbying

The Association is recognized as the single most effective voice for school employees and students at local school districts, at the North Dakota Legislature, and in Congress. Through voluntary donations to special political action funds—not dues money—NDEA members help elect friends of education to office. Local association committees recommend and help elect local school board members who support students and educators.

4. Professional Development

The Association offers high-quality workshops, seminars, and training sessions on education topics like classroom management, mentorship, and student standards, as well as human and civil rights, political action, communications, and negotiations. In addition, NEA’s Professional Library  offers the latest in education publications, new teaching ideas, and practical handbooks, at exclusive member-only rates.

5. Networking

Through the Association you can connect with other teachers from across the state and nation who are dealing with the same joys and frustrations as you. Through Association chat groups and electronic bulletin boards, accessible through the members-only section of the NEA website, www.nea.org, members can meet on-line to get news, share ideas, and get solutions to problems.

6. Public Relations

The Association shares the story of public education from the school professional’s viewpoint with media across the state, through public school support campaigns, and through outreach to community and parent groups.

7. Legal Assistance

The Association trains leaders at schools and work sites in ways to ensure employees are treated fairly.  NDEA’s UniServ directors throughout the state advise and help school professionals with legal concerns. In addition, NDEA’s attorney is an expert in employment law and school law.

8. Liability Insurance

If you are sued over something that happens while you are on the job, NDEA’s liability insurance will provide you with an attorney and $1 million in coverage for any judgment against you.

9. Representation

Whether it’s the state board of education, a legislative committee, or an education coalition, whenever decisions about teachers and students are being made, NDEA is there representing educators.

10. Discounts

Many members save through Association discounts on car and health insurance, hotel stays, car rentals, a credit card, investment opportunities, and more. In many cases, a single use of an Association Member Benefit program will save more than your dues.

Join today!