The changing fortunes and influence of teacher unions is a topic we’ve chronicled on these pages (see here and here). Few people follow this story better than our friend Mike Antonucci at the Education Intelligence Agency (EIA). Yesterday EIA posted data on recent changes in National Education Association (NEA) membership for all NEA state affiliates.
2012-13 was not a good year for NEA or the NEA state affiliate in North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Educators. Nationally NEA lost about 64,000 members and $3.9 million in revenue. In North Carolina, membership was down 12 percent , a loss of almost 6,000 members. Total revenue was also down $1.5 million. The NCAE decline in membership was the second largest in the country, trailing only Wisconsin, which lost a staggering 16,000 members. The NCAE member loss also exceeded those in more populous states like California (5,611), New Jersey (5,356) and New York (3,781).
Also worth noting, NCAE closed the year with an operating deficit of $350,000. Approximately one-third of all NEA state affiliates ran operating deficits last year.
Teachers continue to vote with their feet.
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