There is no collective bargaining in Georgia, and no teacher looks to the NEA or even thinks about the NEA on a daily basis. I personally have no use for them because they are too left-wing for me. I only belong to PAGE because it gives me insurance against wrongful termination (Yes, it does happen) and access to legal advice in the event that I am falsely accused of unethical or inappropriate behavior (This also happens more than you know).
“I think you give too much credit to the NEA. I am a teacher in Georgia. GAE is an affiliate of the NEA. Most teachers that I know opt to join PAGE (Professional Association of Georgia Educators) because it’s cheaper. We see these folks once or twice a year at sign up time.”
I agree with that. I think many forget, even though some national standards have been established, that states and even smaller units still establish curricula and select textbooks to be used. Things are far from uniform nationwide, and most teachers have more interaction with their state associations than with the NEA. But the NEA is the lobbying arm for education in DC, and I know a significant minority, or even a majority of teachers nationwide disagree with their liberal advocacy on most issues.
More conservative states have kept some of the more liberal advocacy out of textbooks (or just picked more conservative textbooks), and out of the reading books for lower grades.