The NEA or the national education association of the United States is a(n) independent, voluntary, nongovernmental association, open to professional educators, whose purpose is to improve education in the United States and to advance the interests of educators. It tries to get more support for public education and to get better salaries and working conditions for teachers. Most of its members are teachers and others who work in education. It was established in 1857. It s head quarters is in Washington, D.C. The NEA has done a great deal for education in the United States.

NEA is America's oldest and largest organization committed to advancing public education. Founded in 1857 in Philadelphia and now headquartered in Washington, D.C., NEA has over 2.3 million members who work at every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has representatibes in every state as well as in over 13,000 local communities across the United States.

Anyone who works for a public school district, a college or university, or any other public institution devoted to education is eligible to join NEA. NEA also has special membership categories for retired educators and college students studying to become teachers. For specific membership

information, contact the NEA affiliate in your state. In 1975 NEA members adopted "The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession." The Code "indicates the aspiration of all educators and provides standards by which to judge conduct."

NEA is a volunteer-based organization supported by a network of staff at the

local, state, and national level.

At the local level, NEA members are active in a variety of activities, everything from conducting workshops on discipline and other issues that affect faculty and school support staff to bargaining contracts for school district employees.

At the state level, NEA members activities are equally wide-ranging. NEA statemembers, for instance, regularly lobby legislators for the resources schools need, campaign for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and file legal actions to protect academic freedom.

At the national level, NEA's work ranges from innovative projects to restructuring how learning takes place to fighting congressional attempts to privatize public education.

At the international level, NEA is linking educators around the world in and

ongoing dialogue dedicated to making schools as effective as they can be.

The NEA also gives out a series of awards. These are some examples of such awards

Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE) LookSmart's Editors Choice Award. Education World,