SAEA returns to campus
Elizabeth Higgins, Senior Staff Writer
Published On: 11/ 3/2009
The Student Alabama Education Association (SAEA) has returned to the UAB campus since the chapter retired in 2007, offering a multitude of opportunities and benefits for future educators.
“We are slowly but surely growing,” said Kalie Bullard, public relations chair for the UAB chapter. “We have held membership drives in both the Education Building and in the HUC [Hill University Center]. We are trying to grow and get our name out to everyone at UAB.”
Bullard said it was important for the organization to return to the campus because of the effect of the failing economy on those associated with the public school system.
“Educators, principals, school nurses are all becoming more susceptible to job loss. However, we know that these conditions will not last,” she said. “SAEA provides great leadership opportunities and professional development for future educators as well as the opportunity for students to take part in a professional organization, which they will most likely be a part of in the future.
“The importance of an organization like this is that it helps inform future teachers and other education workers of their legal rights, what to expect upon receiving a job in the education field and to encourage all future education professionals to learn more about the opportunities available for them.”
The SAEA is the student section of the Alabama Education Association (AEA), the state’s largest education association and advocate for education professionals promoting advancement of equitable and quality public education for Alabama.
According to www.myaea.org, the AEA provides legal assistance, professional development opportunities, great member benefits and a strong voice for education in the Alabama Legislature.
The SAEA aids future educators with issues such as salaries, school law, contracts, competency testing, evaluations, discipline, stress and certification.
“We exist to help you make a smooth transition from campus to the profession — to help give you the edge as an educator in those very important first years,” the SAEA Official Brochure states. “Student AEA members and their colleges across the nation are already professionals — they are heads above the crowd.”
Part of the SAEA $40 membership fee goes toward AEA membership and NEA membership fees for when the student becomes a teacher and wants to join a teaching union, Bullard said as another benefit of the program.
“[Other benefits of being a member are] $1 million worth of liability insurance to protect members any time he or she is involved in working with school children, valuable professional and personal friendships, money-saving special insurance programs, discounts on travel, competitive purchasing, insurance programs, discounts on textbooks and cell phones, access to NEA’s vast research materials, GEM lesson plans, and opportunities to apply for scholarships for active SAEA members,” Bullard said.
The organization will be holding several events throughout the school year. One upcoming event is the community service project Adopt a School/Classroom. The next general meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 19 in combination with a teacher celebration banquet.
For more information, email Bullard at kbullard@uab.edu.
Email: lizzie_212003@yahoo.com
