The Latest from VEA

Contract negotiations benefits students, communities, and educators. Efforts to improve learning conditions for students simultaneously improve the working conditions for educators.

Through contract negotiations, educators bring their professional expertise and ideas to the table to improve our students’ educational experience.

In other states with contract negotiations, educators have used contract negotiations to secure smaller class sizes, increase one-on-one attention for students from professionals like nurses and counselors, and make improvements on safety issues.

Negotiations ensure that the perspective of teachers, who see students every day, will be recognized—and that’s good for public schools.

Locally negotiated contracts help ensure that Virginia attracts and retains top-notch educators to our classrooms.

Frequent staff turnover hurts students. Lacking a voice to advocate for students, in addition to low pay and poor benefits, are reasons that teachers leave Virginia for neighboring states.

Virginia has hundreds of unfilled teaching positions, and many other positions are filled by individuals without full certification. Virginia ranks 32nd in the nation in teacher pay, while enrollments in teacher preparation programs are declining.

Educator-negotiated contracts help get educators the resources, mentoring, and professional development that every professional deserves—all of which benefit our children.

Contract negotiations ensure that educators have a genuine voice to advocate for students in their school division.

Poor working conditions are a barrier to teachers’ and support professionals’ success with students and leave them drained and discouraged. Through contract negotiations, teachers and support professionals have a genuine voice in decisions that matter for students and for school personnel.

Negotiating provides a means for identifying—and solving—problems and challenges to improve student learning.

Contract negotiations provide an avenue for addressing the racial and social inequities that exist in our public schools and communities.

Educators have long advocated for policies to advance equity and justice. VEA and local affiliates have helped equip school staff to advance those goals in their classrooms and their communities.