Curriculum Center & Curriculum Collections: Professional Associations for Teachers

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT,) an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, was founded in 1916 and today represents 1.72 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide.Five divisions within the AFT represent the broad spectrum of the AFT's membership: pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; and nurses and other healthcare professionals. In addition, the AFT represents approximately 80,000 early childhood educators and nearly 250,000 retiree members. 

Association of American Educators: the largest national, non-union, professional educators' organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda.

Association of Professional Humane Educators: an award winning nonprofit for educators, APHE is a membership organization that provides networking opportunities and resources to those involved with or interested in humane education. APHE members receive a member's rate at their national conference, discounts on materials, a member-only online discussion community, and the access to their resource library.

The Association for Middle Level Education is the only international organization of its kind for middle school educators. With more than 35,000 members, AMLE is the go-to source for middle level education peer-reviewed research, best practice, and professional development.

CUE, Computer-Using Educators, is a nonprofit community of educators founded in 1978. CUE’s goal is to inspire innovative learners in all disciplines from preschool through college with a focus on improving education for all learners. CUE members gather to learn and share at local, regional, and statewide education events and conferences as well as through their online community. Educators enhance their skills and extend their professional network. 

Educators for Excellence (E4E), founded by public school teachers, is a growing movement of more than 30,000 educators, united around a common set of values and principles for improving student learning and elevating the teaching profession. They identify issues that impact schools, create solutions to these challenges, and advocate for policies and programs that give all students access to a quality education. Educators for Excellence ensures that teachers have a leading voice in the policies that impact their students and profession. Their annual reports are downloadable and chronicle E4E teachers’ leadership in the policy and advocacy arenas, their successes, and the expansion of E4E across the country.

Kappa Delpha Pi was founded in 1911 at the University of Illinois. Other educational honor societies existed in 1911 but they did not welcome teachers who were women or people of color.  KDP was founded to celebrate and embrace all teachers of excellence as an inclusive organization.  KDP has evolved over 100 years to become the largest national honor society in education, with more than 20,000+ peers and more than 600 chapters. 

The National Council of Teacher of English is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. This mission statement was adopted in 1990: “The Council promotes the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language.” This short video documents the centennial history of the NCTE.

The National Education Association (NEA) is America’s largest labor union representing nearly three million employees, principally teachers. With affiliates in every state across 14,000 communities, NEA represents teachers, education support professionals, retired teachers, education faculty and staff, substitute teachers, and administrators. It exercises enormous political clout in everything from contract negotiations to issue advocacy and lobbying. The NEA was founded in 1857 as the National Teachers Association (NTA) when 43 educators met in Philadelphia in order to advocate for public education. NEA gives generously to Democratic political campaigns as well as various left-of-center organizations.

The National Science Teaching Association is a community of science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and STEM and its impact on student learning. Their mission is to transform science education to benefit all through professional learning, partnerships and advocacy. 

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Their mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin.

The DPI lists several other Wisconsin based professional organizations for teachers on this invaluable webpage. 

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) was founded in 1921, and is the largest professional association in the country devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and supports educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. NCSS serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history, civics, geography, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education. The NCSS membership represents K-12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute the social studies.Membership in National Council for the Social Studies is open to any person or institution interested in the social studies.

The Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies has the following mission:

1. Encourage PK-12 schools to offer Social Studies programs, activities, & experiences to all students each year.
2. Supporting student-centered social studies programs.
3. Disseminating Social Studies information.
4. Advancing a sense of responsibility for the development of the public life of citizens.
5. Fostering greater cooperation within the social studies community.
6. Supporting links between social studies and the larger community.
7. Bringing about a closer association with, and encouraging membership in, the National Council for the Social Studies (hereafter cited as the NCSS).
8. Promoting integration between the social studies and other subjects in the curriculum.