Teachers Association Creates Springdale Chapter

SPRINGDALE — The new Springdale chapter of the Arkansas State Teachers Association will give teachers another option if they don’t want to be in the local chapter of the Arkansas Education Association, said Ronnie Flowers, Northwest Arkansas regional director of the teachers association.

The Springdale chapter was established April 30, Flowers said. Bentonville and Springdale are the only two chapters of the association in Northwest Arkansas.

At A Glance

Association Benefits

The Arkansas State Teachers Association offers:

-$2 million liability insurance policy

-$40,000 two-year life insurance policy

-Scholarships (also available to non-members)

-Grants (also available to non-members)

-A witness during disciplinary meetings

-Professional development resources (also available to non-members)

-Newsletters

-Membership surveys

The Arkansas Education Association offers:

-Legal representation

-Life insurance policy

-Lobbying on behalf of members

-Scholarships

-Grants

-Leadership conferences

-Professional development resources (also available to non-members)

-Loan and mortgage programs

-Investment programs

-Discount programs

-Credit programs

Source: Staff Report

Springdale has never had two associations for teachers before, said Hartzell Jones, district deputy superintendent of personnel. District officials haven't yet discussed anything with the association representatives, he said. The Arkansas Education Association also has members among Springdale teachers.

The Bentonville chapter has about 360 members and Springdale had more than 80 members in the statewide association before the local chapter was established, Flowers said.

Association members can also be members of the Springdale chapter of the AEA, Flowers said.

“We’re just another option out there,” he said.

CT Erickson, a fifth-grade teacher at Harp Elementary School, said by email she chose not to join AEA because she didn’t want to be in a “union.” She feels like the group’s opinions don’t always reflect hers, she said.

“I think I mostly opted out because I didn’t really see the benefit,” she said.

Many people who are members of the teachers association made the choice because they don’t want to pay the dues, Flowers said. Membership for the teachers association is $15 a month while AEA dues are $50 to $60 a month, he said.

The amount of AEA dues depends on the amount of local chapter dues, said Donna Morey, president of the AEA Board of Directors.

The teachers association and the AEA are competitors, but are willing to work together on education issues, Morey said. The two associations will collaborate if they are working on the same issue, Flowers said.

The teachers association doesn’t lobby, Flowers said. Instead, they take member surveys and give the results to legislators, he said. The AEA lobbies in order to represent their members, Morley said.

The teachers association offers advice to teachers, Flowers said. He often gets calls asking legal questions or asking how they should approach an issue, he said.

“Most school employees don’t have any kind of support,” he said.

The teachers association supports teachers by clarifying policies that can be overwhelming, he said. An association member can also act as a witness during disciplinary meetings, he said.

The teachers association will have to get approval from the School Board if they want access to schools, Jones said. They will also need approval if they want to use payroll deductions for dues, he said.

Erickson said she and some of the teachers she works with hadn’t heard of the teachers association.

The teachers association is trying to increase awareness of their presence in Springdale by handing out fliers, Flowers said. They also want to get on the June School Board meeting agenda to introduce the group, he said.

Upcoming Events