New Jersey’s public schools serve a highly diverse student population. According to data from the 2020 U.S. Census, 48% of New Jersey residents identify as members of an ethnic-minority group. NJEA members themselves come from diverse backgrounds.
The best decisions are made when everyone is represented, and the NEA RA is the highest decision-making body in the National Education Association. NEA Bylaw 3-1.g requires each state association to develop a plan to send a delegation to the NEA RA that reflects the state’s ethnic-minority proportions. Thus, it is NJEA’s goal to send a delegation to the NEA RA that meets or exceeds the 48% threshold.
To assist in reaching that goal, NJEA has established ethnic-minority-concerns positions within the NEA RA delegation. All NJEA members can nominate themselves for both regular and minority-concerns positions. If elected in both positions, a member must decide which seat to hold so that a successor delegate can take the open position.
Members may also place themselves in nomination at the local level and at the state level. Members who win both local and state delegate seats must decide which seat they will represent so that successor delegates can take the open positions.
For complete rules and procedures, and to self-nominate for state delegate and minority-concerns positions, visit njea.org/NJEAelections.