Why does political action matter?

Almost every aspect of a school employee’s job is determined by
appointed or elected officials.

• Class sizes
• Wages
• School funding/resources for students
• Privatizing services
• Due process rights
• Pensions and health benefits
• How student test scores are used

If we want to exert some control over the issues that are important to us,
our family, our profession and our community, we need to know:

• Who the appointed and elected decision makers are.
• What information they have BEFORE they make their decisions.

As NJEA members, our job is to be sure that policymakers at the local, state and federal levels hear directly from us on education issues. We know what students need to succeed. If we are absent from the process, we will allow important decisions about education to be determined by people who may have never set foot into a classroom or worked with a student.

This guide will provide you with information about these decision makers, your role in making sure the right people get to hold these positions, and what you can do to help them make the right decisions.