Legislator & policymaker NJEA’s Legislative Work Force Why does political action matter? Elected and appointed officials decide almost every aspect of a school employee’s job. • Freeholders, Congress, the state Legislature, the governor – all have the power to make decisions that influence us. • Elected officials play a role in appointing other decision makers who have an equal impact on our professional lives, such as the members of the State Board of Education, the commissioner of education, and justices in the courts. • Class sizes, wages, school district funding/resources for 40 – AR Handbook students, how student test scores are used, sick/vacation/personal/ medical leave, due process (tenure) rights, pensions and benefits, retirement age, many working conditions – all of these are decisions that are made by elected and appointed officials. To have an impact over the issues that affect us and our families, our schools and students, our profession, and our community, we need to be involved in the process. • We are the experts. Elected and appointed policymakers need to hear directly from us on education issues. • If our voice is not part of the process, people without any knowledge of students and schools could be making decisions about education that affect you, your schools, and your students. • We need to let policymakers know the impact of their proposed policies and make sure they have the right information before they make any decisions. The political process and the AR’s role The NJEA Government Relations Division organizes members to be active in the political process. Members from each county on the NJEA Government Relations and Congressional Contact committees help promote NJEA positions on legislation and regulation with elected and appointed officials at both the federal and state levels.
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