Ask Me About 3-1(g)
3-1(g) lies at the heart of NEA’s efforts to encourage racial and ethnic diversity in leadership throughout all levels of
the Association—local, state, and national.
3-1(g) has been part of NEA’s Bylaws since the 1970s and requires each state affiliate to implement action plans for
meaningful ethnic-minority involvement in organizational leadership.
3-1(g) is not a mandate to fill ethnic-minority quotas, or a guarantee for the election of ethnic-minority members.
3-1(g) is a progressive and dynamic approach to encourage every NEA affiliate to put forth its best effort to
establish meaningful, sustainable, ethnic-minority involvement throughout organizational leadership.
3-1(g) builds on a long and proud record of progressive achievement. NEA has always been at the leading edge of
history when it comes to human and civil rights—amplified through its mission, goals, and core values; and
demonstrated throughout its organizational history and development.
3-1(g) begins at the NEA Representative Assembly by engaging each state association to elect a state and local
delegation that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity among all of the students, school employees, and
communities it serves.
3-1(g) has ensured that the NEA Representative Assembly today continues to be highly diverse—30% of RA
delegates at the 2012 RA in Washington, DC self-identified as racial and ethnic minorities, compared with
approximately 36% in the general U.S. population (2010 Census).
3-1(g) policy does not require a state association to meet its numerical goal each year at the RA, but rather that a
state association submit its plan for achieving its numerical goal, that the plan is approved by the NEA Executive
Committee, and that the state association comply with its plan components.
3-1(g) sets forth an always changing and evolving challenge—and successfully diverse state associations are quick
to recognize that a variety of actions and approaches must take place to achieve and maintain success. Some of
these actions may include:
o informing members about the Association’s ethnic-minority involvement policies through presentations,
brochures, and other media;
o establishing ethnic-minority affairs or human and civil rights committees to coordinate plan actions and
activities between state and local affiliates;
o identifying and encouraging ethnic-minority candidates to run for delegate and other governance
positions, and;
o submitting names of ethnic-minority members as candidates for appointment to state and national
committees.
3-1(g) is an Association issue, not an ethnic-minority issue—and relies on all members in order to achieve its greatest
success. Discover what your local or state association is doing to ensure that 3-1(g) plays a living and growing part
of NEA’s continued diversity efforts.
Bylaw 3-1(g) Policy Text
3. Representative Assembly
3-1. Allocation of Delegates.
g. It is the policy of the Association to achieve ethnic-minority delegate representation at least
equal to the proportion of identified ethnic-minority populations within the state. Prior to
December 1 of each fiscal year, each state affiliate shall submit to the NEA Executive Committee
for its approval a legally permissible plan which is designed to achieve a total state and local
delegation to the Representative Assembly held that fiscal year which reflects these ethnicminority proportions. If a state affiliate fails to submit such a plan, the NEA Executive Committee
fails to approve a plan which is submitted, or a state affiliate fails to comply with an approved
plan, the Representative Assembly may deny to the delegates from the state affiliate any right to
participate in the NEA Representative Assembly at the Annual Meeting other than to (i)
participate in elections for Association officers and (ii) vote on increases in Association
membership dues. Local affiliates shall comply with the approved plan of the state affiliate, and if
a local affiliate fails to do so, the right of its delegates to participate in the NEA Representative
Assembly at the Annual Meeting may be limited as indicated above. The failure of a state or local
affiliate to comply with the provisions of this Bylaw shall in addition be grounds for censure,
suspension, or expulsion pursuant to Bylaw 6-5.