WVEA’s Proud History
Founded in 1864, the West Virginia Education Association is a voluntary membership organization consisting of nearly 10,000 pre-K, elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers. We help build strong local associations that assist members across the state, lobby policymakers to ensure excellence and equity in our public schools, work to elect legislative candidates who are pro-public-education, offer professional development classes and resources to our members, and ensure due process for education employees. There are approximately 70 local associations in school districts across West Virginia.
The WVEA is a member-governed organization. WVEA policy is determined democratically by the WVEA Delegate Assembly, the Association’s supreme policy-making body. The DA, which meets each spring, is composed of nearly 250 delegates elected by members through their local associations. The WVEA Executive Committee also sets policy and provides direction for the WVEA.
The WVEA employs dedicated full-time staff who work in our headquarters office in Charleston.
WVEA serves West Virginia’s students and its members as a leader in statewide and local school improvement programs, training WVEA members and assisting school districts on education reform issues. WVEA provides its members with these services: communications, community organizing, human relations, professional development, legal assistance, lobbying, member benefits, organizational development, political action, research and many other education-related programs.
The WVEA has a long history of working on behalf of education professionals in West Virginia. Members know they can depend on the WVEA for:
- Fast, accurate information
- A strong voice in the West Virginia Legislature
- Ongoing training to enhance school employees’ skills
- Answers to questions about education policy
- On-the-job liability insurance coverage and legal assistance from WVEA attorneys
- Ideas to help students in their classroom
- Money saving discounts to help stretch school employees’ paychecks.
The WVEA is an affiliate of the National Education Association. The NEA is America’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to advancing the cause of public education and advocating for professional education standards based on an adopted Code of Ethics. Founded in 1867, today the NEA proudly claims 3 million members who work at every level of education, from pre-schools to universities. NEA has affiliates in all states, as well as in 13,000 towns and cities across the U.S.