Association of American Educators (AAE) is a non-union membership organization for educators. It supports school choice policies, including increasing the availability of charter and magnet schools along with programs such as school vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and education savings accounts (ESAs).

Activities

Association of American Educators was formed in 1994 as a professional trade association and currently has members in all 50 states. ¹

AAE only takes policy positions on issues relevant to education ² and supports policies that advance school choice. This includes increasing the availability of charter and magnet schools along with programs like school vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and education savings accounts (ESAs). ³

The group’s approach to advocacy includes identifying and training its members to influence student and classroom decisions. AAE’s fellowship program aims to empower educators and amplify their voices by teaching skills and providing resources that better equip them to speak to administrators, community leaders, and government officials about education issues and policies. ⁴

AAE aims to be an alternative to teacher unions and does not participate in collective bargaining, spend members’ dues on partisan politics, or endorse candidates. It does not condone strikes or boycotts, claiming that these methods are detrimental to students and damaging to the reputation of teachers as professionals. ⁵

Additionally, AAE provides its members with professional benefits like liability insurance, scholarships and grants, and professional resources. ⁶

Funding

The Association of American Educators is funded by membership fees, which are $198 annually as of 2022. Reduced rates are available to student and retired teachers. ⁷

People

Colin Sharkey is executive director of the Association of American Educators and the affiliated AAE Foundation. Sharkey formerly worked as a project coordinator at the Heritage Foundation and as a program officer at the Collegiate Network, a program of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. ⁸ His wife, Jenn Sharkey, also serves at the AAE as Director of Membership Management. ⁹

Gary Beckner is the board chair and co-founder of the Association of American Educators and the AAE Foundation. Beckner is the former executive director of the Coalition of Independent Education Associations and former participant at the White House Conference on Character and Community. ¹⁰

Board member DeLaina Tonks formerly sat on the Utah Immigration Commission and the board of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools. ¹¹

Board member Polly Broussard is the director of legal services at the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. ¹²

Board member Becky Norton Dunlop is the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Dunlop formerly worked as secretary of natural resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a senior official in the Reagan Administration, and as senior special assistant to the Attorney General in the Department of Justice. ¹³

Board member Larry Sand is president of the California Teachers Empowerment Network and a policy advisor at the Heartland Institute. Sand sits on the board of Choice Media. ¹⁴

Other members of the board include Lewis Hodge, secretary and treasurer; William Crockett, emeritus; and Vicki Heggem. ¹⁵

1.  “About Us.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us.
2. “About Us.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us.
3.  Kahapea, Noelani “School Choice Works.” Education Matters. Winter 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/images/em/2022winternews.pdf.
4. Tookes, Kira. “Advocacy Update: Focus on Fellows.” Education Matters. Winter 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/images/em/2022winternews.pdf.
5. “About Us.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us.
6. “About Us.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us.
7. “Join the Association of American Educators.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/join.
8. “Contact and Key Staff.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/contact-and-key-staff.
9. “Contact and Key Staff.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed December 21, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/contact-and-key-staff.
10. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/aaef-board-of-directors.
11. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022.
    https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae–foundation/aaef–board–of–directors.
12. “Staff.” Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.apeleducators.org/page/AboutStaff.
13. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators. 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/aaef-board-of-directors.
14. “Larry Sand.” Heartland Institute. 2022. Accessed June 22, 2022. https://www.heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/larry-sand%20
15. Association of American Educators, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019.