The Maine Education Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association, is a labor union for teachers in the state of Maine that has historically advocated in favor of tax increases to fund public education, stricter regulatory requirements concerning teachers’ qualifications, and tenure policies for public school teachers.

Background

State Teachers Association

In 1859, a group of men in Waterville, Maine, formed the State Teachers Association, the predecessor organization to the Maine Education Association. The goals of this group included advocating for normal schools to prepare teachers, a compulsory attendance policy, free high school education, and increased funding for education in general. The Maine Education Association’s website describes this group as “unrelentingly male and unapologetically elitist.” ¹

Maine Education Association

In 1867, following a hiatus during the Civil War, the State Teachers Association was reformed into the Maine Education Association and the former’s assets were transferred to the latter. Following the reformation, the association supported increasing taxes on property and apportioning the additional revenue to municipalities based on school attendance rates. Additionally, the organization began to recommend stricter certification standards for teachers and the removal of hiring responsibility from Maine school committees to county supervisors. During this period, Maine did not adopt these recommendations. ²

Maine Pedagogical Society

In 1882, the Association merged with the Maine Teachers Association, a similar group that acted as a professional organization of teachers, forming the Maine Pedagogical Society, which advocated in favor of stricter certification and educational standards, compulsory education policies, and the abolition of the district-based educational system in favor of a town-based one. ³

Rather than focusing on political advocacy the organization throughout the rest of the 19^th century and during the early years of the 20^th focused mainly on concerns relating to educational instruction. To that end, during this period the organization facilitated lectures, annual meetings, and scholarly papers. ⁴

During the 1920s, the organization hired Adelbert W. Gordon as its executive secretary who simultaneous worked as the Maine State Department of Education’s agent for schools in unorganized townships. Under his leadership, the organization’s goal was to achieve full participation of all Maine teachers in the organization. Additionally, during this period the organization began to participate in meetings of the National Education Association, sending seven delegates to the latter’s annual assembly. ⁵

Following the end of World War II, the organization shifted gears, focusing on policy objectives including a minimum salary law for teachers; a policy guaranteeing teachers tenure, or protection from dismissal after a certain length of service; and the establishment of a state retirement plan. ⁶

Starting in the 1960s, the organization shifted gears once again to focus on promoting labor relations changes that increased the power of government worker unions. Particularly, the organization promoted the Municipal Employee Labor Relations Law in 1969, which authorized collective bargaining for teachers and other government workers. ⁷

Over the next two decades, the organization experienced substantial growth, increasing from roughly 12,000 to 24,000 members. During this period the organization began regularly supporting candidates for political office. ⁸

In April 1976, the organization was officially registered as a tax-exempt 501(c)(5) labor union, with an address in Augusta, Maine. ⁹

In 1993, the organization changed its name again to the Maine Education Association.

Activities

Since the early 21^st century, the Maine Education Association, now an affiliate of the National Education Association, opposed the Palesky Tax Cap, a proposed referendum to lower property taxes; opposed  Maine “TABOR” (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) limits on state spending; and supported a policy mandating an increase of the State of Maine’s share of the costs of K-12 public education to 55 percent. ^{10 11 12 13 14}

Grants

The Maine Education Association has given grants to its affiliated 501(c)(6) retirement organization, MEA-Retired; Citizens Who Support Maine Public Schools, an ideologically aligned political action committee; as well as MEASO Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy, a 501(c)(9) beneficiary association. ¹⁵

Leadership

Grace Leavitt is the president of the Maine Education Association as well as a Spanish teacher on leave from Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine. ¹⁶

Jesse Hargrove is the vice president of the Main Education Association. Additionally, Hargrove teaches American history, government and economics, advises the yearbook class, and is the social studies department chair at Hermon High School in Maine. ¹⁷

Beth French is the treasurer of the Maine Education Association as well as a 3^rd grade teacher at East Belfast School in Maine. ¹⁸

1. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
2. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
3.  “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
4. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
5. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
6. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
7. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
8. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
9. “Maine Education Association.” ProPublica. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/10114035
10. Lyons, Karen; and Lav, Iris. “The Same Old TABOR: Maine’s “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” Proposal Fails To Fix Flaws of Colorado’s TABOR.” Center on Budget Policy and Priorities. March 16, 2006. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://www.cbpp.org/research/the-same-old-tabor-maines-taxpayer-bill-of-rights-proposal-fails-to-fix-flaws-of-colorados
11. “What will the Nov. 2 Palesky Tax Cap Referendum mean for Cape Elizabeth?” The Town of Cape Elizabeth. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://www.capeelizabeth.com/media/RetiredCommittees/taxcap/Q_A_3.pdf
12. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
13. “About MEA.” Maine Educational Association. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://maineea.org/about/
14. “Benefits.” Maine Education Association. Accessed January 20, 2024.
15. Maine Education Association. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/10114035/202301189349300215/full
16. “MEA Elected Leaders.” Maine Education Association. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://maineea.org/leadership/
17. “MEA Elected Leaders.” Maine Education Association. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://maineea.org/leadership/
18. “MEA Elected Leaders.” Maine Education Association. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://maineea.org/leadership/