Mission Statement

The Mississippi Association of Educators advocates great public schools for every child by
empowering members, providing services and promoting parental/community involvement.

To achieve its mission, MAE has adopted the following strategic objectives:

MAE will increase membership in all membership catergories (Active, Education Support Professionals, Students, Retirees, Substitutes, Part-Time and Associates).

MAE will build strong local associations by empowering members through training and leadership development.

MAE will establish an effective organizational structure to fulfill the mission of the Association.

MAE will increase involvement in political action, legislation and other advocacy processes.

MAE will expand programs and services to better serve members and to assist members in becoming informed advocates for public education.

MAE: A Proud History

The Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE) is the continuation of more than 128 years of productive accomplishments for educators and public education in Mississippi.

The MAE was established through the 1976 merger of the predominately-white Mississippi Education Association (MEA) and the predominately black Mississippi Teachers Association (MTA). That merger resulted after the two organizations worked for more than ten (10) years to develop an acceptable plan. Over that period of time, several unsuccessful votes to merge ocurred. The successful votes happened during the March 1975 conventions of the MEA and MTA. A separate vote was held in 1976 to unify with the National Education Association.

In 1878 the Mississippi Teachers Association, later to become the Mississippi Education Association (MEA), was chartered by the State of Mississippi for the purpose of improving working and learning opportunities and conditions in Mississippi's public schools. At that time, one room school buildings, without any stable state funding or state provided textbooks, were the conditions under which teachers and students labored. For nearly 100 years, legislative lobbying for school structures, programs and teachers' salaries was the hallmark of the MEA. Additionally, professional development through workshops, conferences, conventions and publications headlined the MEA agenda.

In 1906, African American educators in the State created the Mississippi Association of Teachers in Colored Schools, later to be chartered as the Mississippi Teachers Association (MTA). The organizers of MTA recognized the importance of professional development and job-related protection of existing and future African American educators as well as the need for better school buildings, textbooks and equipment. Although the MTA made sizeable contributions to the education lobbying efforts at the state level, much of its efforts were in legal and community-based organizing activities. Those efforts centered on voter registration and "Get Out the Vote," in support of politicians who advocated for public education opportunities for African American educators and students.

The 1975 MEA-MTA merger sought to combine the powerful lobbying, legal assistance and professional development leadership of the state's two education associations in order to better serve the educators and students of Mississippi.

Today, the MAE works daily to carry on and enhance the visions and accomplishments of the founders and organizers of the MEA and MTA. Your membership and participation in the MAE will help continue our success as the voice in Making Public Schools Great for Every Child.