lae.org Membership

LAE Membership Categories

The membership classification and requirements established by the National Education Association shall be the membership classifications and requirements of the Association; provided that only active, retired, and educational support members of the Association may vote in the election of officers, hold elective or appointive office, or serve as delegates to the Representative Assembly; however, student members may serve as delegates to the Representative Assembly. All classes of membership shall be limited to persons who support the objectives and goals of the Association.

Active membership shall be open to any person who is engaged in, including those participating in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), or who is on limited leave of absence from professional educational work in a public institution or in an institution of higher learning. Active members shall hold or be eligible to hold a baccalaureate or higher degree or the regular teaching, vocational, or technical certificates required by their employment. Active members who are on leave of absence from their education position of at least six months shall have two options with respect to membership:

1. They may become an active member with full voting and membership rights; or
2. They may become reserve members, pay one-half dues, and forgo voting and membership rights.

Educational support membership shall be open to any employee for a public education institution or public or private institution of higher learning who is not eligible for active membership. The dues for educational support members shall be one-half the dues for active members.

Student membership shall be open to any student enrolled in or preparing for a teacher education program in an accredited institution of higher learning. Student members shall be eligible to be voting members of the LAE Representative Assembly. The annual dues shall be set the by LAE-Student Program organization at their annual convention, subject to approval by the Board of Directors.

Retired membership shall be open to any person who has retired from educational employment. Retired members shall have the right to vote, to hold elective or appointive positions and be counted toward representation entitlement for the Board of Directors and the Representative Assembly in proportion to the membership. Retired members shall be eligible to receive benefits and services of the Association authorized by the Board of Directors. Dues for retired members who join on an annual basis shall be $10.00. An LAE member who retired may choose to join an LAE Lifetime Retired Program. Dues for the LAE Lifetime Program will be $100.00. LAE Lifetime Retired will be limited to 1000 memberships.

Staff membership shall be open to any person employed by the Association or any of its affiliates in a professional staff position. The dues shall be one-half the dues for active members.

Associate membership shall be open to any person who is interested in advancing the cause of public education but who is not eligible for any other class of membership in the Association. Associate member rights shall be limited to receiving reports and publications of the Association. The dues shall be twenty dollars ($20.00).

Reserve membership shall be open to any person who is on leave of absence of at least six months from the employment that qualifies that person for active or educational support membership or who has held active or educational support membership but whose employment status no longer qualifies the individual for such membership. Reserve members may not vote or hold elective or appointive positions in the Association. Dues shall be one-half the dues of active or educational support dues as appropriate.