The Washington Education Association: A History of Advocacy for Public Education
The Washington Education Association (WEA) stands as the largest representative of public school employees in Washington, advocating for quality public education, reasonable class sizes, and professional pay and respect for educators. From its inception as the Washington State Teachers' Association in 1889 with just 124 members, the WEA has evolved into a powerful voice for approximately 94,000 public educators across the state, spanning pre-K through higher education. This article delves into the history, governance, activities, and controversies surrounding the WEA, providing a comprehensive overview of its role in shaping the educational landscape of Washington.
Founding and Early Years
Founded on April 2-3, 1889, as the Washington State Teachers' Association, the WEA laid the groundwork for advancements in education. Early efforts from 1915 to the 1960s focused on establishing basic education requirements for teachers, creating teacher retirement plans, securing state contributions for school construction, and advocating for paid sick leave. These early achievements set the stage for the WEA's continued advocacy for the rights and welfare of its members. The WEA also secured the right for classified school employees to collectively bargain, marking a significant step forward in labor relations within the education sector.
Collective Bargaining and Labor Activism
The late 1960s and 1970s marked a turning point in the WEA's approach to advocating for its members. In 1968, Tacoma negotiated the state's first true collective bargaining contract for teachers, setting a precedent for future negotiations across Washington. A notable event occurred in 1973 when teachers in the Evergreen School District defied a court order to end a strike. Evergreen EA President Fred Ensman, Action Committee chair Dick Johnson, and EEA Interim President John Zavodsky were jailed for more than 40 days.
The 1980s brought about more change, with the Washington legislature approving a community college collective bargaining law after repeated attempts by the WEA.
Key Milestones in the New Millennium
The WEA continued its advocacy into the 21st century, achieving several significant milestones. In 2000, WEA members worked to win overwhelming approval of Initiative 732, requiring annual cost-of-living increases for all public school employees. This victory demonstrated the WEA's ability to mobilize its members and influence public policy through ballot initiatives.
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In 2003, the WEA organized a "Day of Action" on January 14, which included rallies in Spokane, Kennewick, and Olympia, with 25,000 members calling on lawmakers to respect voter-approved class size limits and educator cost-of-living increases. That same year, the Marysville Education Association held a 50-day strike, the longest by teachers in state history. After an injunction forced teachers back to school, they led successful efforts to replace all three incumbent school board members on the fall ballot.
In 2004, delegates at the Representative Assembly approved a special dues assessment to support a legal battle over Washington's inadequate education funding. This decision laid the foundation for the state Supreme Court decision known as "McCleary." In 2007, WEA members successfully won legislative and voter approval to make it easier for local communities to approve school levies. Before the constitutional change, levies needed a 60 percent super majority to pass.
The McCleary Decision and Ongoing Advocacy
A decisive win for Washington students and the WEA coalition came in 2012 with the state Supreme Court's McCleary ruling. This landmark decision addressed the state's constitutional obligation to fully fund basic education, leading to significant changes in education funding and policy.
The WEA continues to be the voice of public educators in Washington, calling for quality public education, reasonable class sizes, and professional pay and respect for those responsible for our children. From Walla Walla to Winthrop, Bellevue to Bellingham, Snohomish, Soap Lake, Seattle, Spokane and every county, town and city in between, the WEA represents employees in nearly every public school district in Washington.
Governance and Membership Structure
The governance of the WEA is structured around a democratic, member-driven framework. The Representative Assembly (RA) serves as the supreme policy-making body, convening annually. Delegates elected by local affiliates-proportional to membership and adhering to a one-person, one-vote principle-establish priorities, adopt budgets, amend governing documents by a two-thirds vote, and conduct elections.
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Between RA sessions, the Board of Directors holds general authority to execute policies, interpret bylaws, employ the executive director, and oversee operations, including biennial reviews of delegate ratios and membership representation. Executive leadership is provided by the president, the chief officer who chairs the RA, Board, and Executive Committee (comprising officers plus at least six at-large members elected by the board), and the vice president, who acts as second alternate to NEA directors and assumes presidential duties if needed. Both officers are elected by secret ballot at the RA following open nominations from active members, serving three-year terms with a two-term consecutive limit; vacancies trigger succession or board-appointed interim roles until the next RA. Larry Delaney has served as president since his election in April 2019, with Janie White as vice president in the same term.
The WEA represents approximately 94,000 public educators spanning pre-K through higher education, including certificated staff (such as classroom teachers and administrators), education support professionals (ESP, like paraprofessionals and clerical workers), higher education faculty, substitute educators, retired members, and students pursuing education careers. Membership is organized through over 375 local associations, with the majority concentrated in K-12 public schools.
Financial Structure and Dues
WEA dues for active members are structured annually and differentiated by employment category, with certificated members facing the highest rates due to broader professional protections and certification support. Local associations add their own dues atop the state-level amounts, which fund NEA contributions (not itemized in WEA breakdowns), UniServ councils, and specific programs. Special assessments, such as those for community outreach and BIPOC scholarships, apply additionally for certain categories.
The 2024-25 structure allocates funds across operational, advocacy, and equity initiatives. Dues generate over $70 million annually across the state, supporting collective bargaining, legal defense, and political engagement. Critics from organizations like the Freedom Foundation argue the structure incentivizes high collections amid opt-out challenges post-Janus v. WEA.
Legislative Engagement and Lobbying
WEA's legislative engagement centers on lobbying efforts in Olympia, where a dedicated team of lobbyists and member volunteers advocate for priorities such as increased K-12 funding, teacher pay competitiveness, professional development, and budget allocations. Key figures include chief lobbyist Lucinda Young, who focuses on teacher quality and professional issues, and funding lobbyist Lorrell Noahr, who addresses school district and state budgets. During legislative sessions, WEA organizes member lobbying days, testimony in committee hearings, and mass sign-ons to bills.
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Legal Disputes and Controversies
The WEA has been involved in several legal disputes. In Davenport v. Supreme Court's Janus v. AFSCME decision on June 27, 2018, which prohibited compelled agency fees from public employees nationwide under the First Amendment, the WEA faced additional litigation alleging continued unauthorized deductions. In 1997, the Washington Attorney General filed suit against the WEA alleging multiple violations of Initiative 134, the state's campaign finance disclosure law enacted in 1992. More recently, in 2021, the Freedom Foundation filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission asserting that WEA-PAC violated state law by not disclosing the names and addresses of nearly 27,000 contributors in its year-end filings, despite these being primarily automatic monthly deductions from union members' paychecks.
Critics of the WEA contend that its collective bargaining priorities and advocacy against certain reforms prioritize teacher job protections and compensation over measurable improvements in student outcomes, contributing to Washington's stagnant educational performance despite high per-pupil spending. The WEA has actively resisted reforms aimed at enhancing accountability and innovation, including opposition to charter school expansion, which proponents argue introduces competition and alternative models to improve public school performance. Reform advocates have criticized the WEA for its legal and political efforts to block charter schools, arguing that such opposition restricts educational options and innovation for students, particularly in underserved communities. WEA's formal opposition to merit-based pay systems has also drawn scrutiny from reformers, who view it as resistance to performance accountability that could incentivize better teaching outcomes. Taxpayers and fiscal watchdogs have faulted WEA for channeling substantial dues revenue-primarily from public school employees' salaries-into political advocacy rather than direct classroom support.
Political Stance and Affiliations
The Washington Education Association is a left-of-center teachers union that is the Washington state affiliate of the National Education Association. The union is politically active in endorsing and funding Democratic candidates for office in Washington through its political action committee. The union publishes an annual legislative agenda calling for a variety of pro-union education spending increases and class size limits, among other stances. The union and its affiliates have promoted a variety of left-of-center and far-left positions, including coordination with Black Lives Matter-related school groups and calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war of 2023-2024.
The WEA embraces left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology and supports left-of-center organizations including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Welcoming Schools, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Teaching Tolerance Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. The union also promotes resources regarding Black Lives Matter at School Week. Regarding immigration, the union promotes resources to establish “safe school zones” where school districts refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement officials.
Top Policy Issues
The Washington Education Association’s top policy issues include education funding, class size caps, and limiting standardized testing and teacher evaluations. The group’s 2024 legislative agenda called for significant pay increases for bus drivers, teaching assistants, cafeteria workers, and adjunct faculty as well as increased funding for special education and support programs for students with behavioral issues. In 2024, the WEA endorsed state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) for Governor at its endorsement recommendation convention and publicized opportunities for union members to volunteer on his campaign. The WEA also contributes to Democratic candidates in the state through its political action committee, the WEA-PAC. The union also endorses dozens of candidates for local school boards annually.
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