Maine Education Association
| Maine Education Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Augusta, Maine |
| Type: | 501(c)(5) |
| Top official: | Lois Kilby-Chesley, President |
| Year founded: | 1859 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Maine Education Association (MEA) is a union in the state of Maine. MEA was an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA).[1]
Background
The MEA traced its origins to the formation of the State Teachers Association, an organization formed in 1859 that sought more money for education and a compulsory attendance law in the state. In 1969, the MEA and its executive director, John Marvin, worked to pass Maine's Municipal Employee Labor Relations Law, effectively allowing collective bargaining for public employees. In its published organizational history, the MEA noted the change in the organization after collective bargaining was authorized:[2]
| “ | In just eight years the modern Association had taken shape as a professional association that bargained collectively for a diverse membership and advocated for their interests in the legal, political, and legislative arenas. Over the next two decades the Association experienced substantial growth as member ranks expanded from 12,000 to 24,000 and, correspondingly, increased its political influence by recommending and supporting candidates for office and pursuing a grassroots legislative agenda.[3] | ” |
As of July 2025, the organization's website said its mission was "To advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the people of Maine to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed."[4]
| Influencers |
|---|
 |
| State affiliates of the National Education Association |
Leadership
As of July 2025, the following were listed as members of the Board of Directors:[5]
- Pamela Kinsey
- Vacant
- Kendrah Fisher
- Cedena McAvoy
- Thresa Mitchell
- Hilary Koch
- Valerie Pinkham
- Dennis Boyd
- Evelyn Atwood
- Suzanne Nelson
- Tom Walsh
- Rebecca Manchester
- William "Bill" True
- Michael Grillo
- Lisa Henderson
- Kay Grindall
- Jay Nicholson
- Zach Wentworth
Work
Salary guide
In addition to organizing collective bargaining for public school teachers in Maine, the MEA offers an online salary database for members to compare salaries by districts. Their website says, "The Maine Education Association works to help its members advocate on issues related to the profession and your lives. The Association has compiled this online salary database to give you a better understanding of how teachers and support staff are paid in different districts."[6]
Lobbying
The MEA did not publish their legislative agenda, but they did offer a description of the motivations for lobbying the state legislature. On its website, the organization wrote:[7]
| “ | What you teach and how you do your job is the result of political decisions. School reform, learning results, teacher licensure, and educational technician authorization are all directly tied to votes by politicians. Administering medications, dealing with violent students, and the structure and governance of higher education are all dictated by legislative action or inaction. If MEA isn't involved, decisions about school curricula, teaching methodologies, student assessment, and graduation requirements will be made without regard for educator interests.[3] | ” |
Political activity
According to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute for Advancing Education Excellence, the MEA had not traditionally "shown much of a financial presence during elections." In 2012, the organization ranked the MEA 44th in the nation's state-level teacher unions in terms of their involvement in politics.[8]
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Maine Education Association's revenues and expenses from 2015 to 2022. The information comes from the Internal Revenue Service
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $8,354,573 | $8,410,104 |
| 2016 | $8,431,656 | $8,361,684 |
| 2017 | $8,696,672 | $8,426,268 |
| 2018 | $8,752,366 | $8,429,628 |
| 2019 | $8,998,164 | $8,796,630 |
| 2020 | $9,1334,650 | $8,238,113 |
| 2021 | $9,353,123 | $8,656,350 |
| 2022 | $9,312,665 | $3,550,921 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Maine Education Association'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Education Association, "NEA Affiliates," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ Maine Education Association, "150 Years," January 2009
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Maine Education Association, "About MEA," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ Maine Education Association, "MEA Board Members," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ Maine Education Association, "MEA Salary Guide," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ Maine Education Association, "Legislation & Policy," accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ Thomas B. Fordham Institute for Advancing Education Excellence, "How Strong are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 2012
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