About BEA
We are over 1400 members strong with a collective of educators spanning; classroom teachers, nurses, psychologists, resource teachers, counselors, occupational and physical therapists, librarians, specialists, and more.
We protect your rights, by advocating on your behalf, assisting you in resolving conflicts, answering your questions, and listening to your concerns. It is our responsibility to negotiate with the school district on your behalf over wages, hours, and working conditions. In addition, we offer professional development and training opportunities to our members throughout the school year.
As a democratic organization, we hold monthly meetings with building representatives you elect to maintain a well-informed governing body which shapes our association and tackles the issues that matter to you most. Member meetings are also held monthly in each building to provide you with direct insight on pertinent issues affecting education professionals on the local, state, and national level.
Learn more about Member benefits
BEA Core Values
We Believe:
Every Child Deserves a Comprehensive Education. A complete education focusing on the whole child includes arts, physical education, math, science, reading, world language, social sciences, and vocational training. We want students to leave our classrooms prepared to pursue any avenue of life they choose. We develop critical thinking skills, engross children in a variety of subjects, and prepare students to be productive members of society. Education both prepares students for work and teaches them the beauty of knowledge.
Bellevue Teachers Are Highly Skilled Professionals. Trained educators are most qualified to make program decisions and work with parents to make the best decisions for educating their children. A “one size fits all” model does not work for curriculum, assessments or teacher evaluations. Students are best served when teachers determine what curriculum and assessments will best meet the needs of the students.
We Commit To:
High Standards for ALL Students. We are committed to holding all students to high standards for learning. All students deserve to be pushed to their highest potential. Bellevue teachers strive to guide every student in every classroom to deep, meaningful learning every day.
Building Lifelong Learners. Education is more than job-specific training. Education teaches students to be lifelong learners, and lifelong learners can adapt to the many changes they will face in their lives. They can contribute meaningfully in the ever-changing society in which they live. Education is thus a path to being a better person. Lifelong learners improve their problem solving and communication skills throughout their lives. We are committed to inspiring students to lifelong learning in every lesson we teach.
Constant Growth and Improvement in Our Instructional Skill. Bellevue teachers are committed to constantly seeking new ways to meet the needs of our students. We seek meaningful professional development that will allow us to grow as educators and improve our ability to engage the students in vibrant and inspiring lessons. We continually evaluate and improve our work by refining lessons and learning new ways to reach students.
Accountability. Bellevue teachers take responsibility for being at the top of our profession. We take great pride in our teaching, and we hold ourselves and our peers to high standards. Just as we take responsibility for preparing for our students, we teach our students to take responsibility for doing their best work and reaching their highest potential.
We Want to See:
Individual Attention for Students. With more teachers and staff in a school, every student gets more instruction time and attention. Teachers most effectively respond to the individual needs of the students in personalized learning environments. Every child is a unique individual, and each individual receives the best, most personalized education in a smaller class.
Time to Prepare for Greatest Student Learning. Students learn most when a teacher is both prepared with engaging lessons and is able to respond creatively and effectively to the challenges of the day. Teachers need time to reflect on their students, puzzle over instructional challenges, and create class activities. More planning time makes teachers more effective in responding to students’ needs in the classroom.
Respect for Professional Judgment. Teachers are creative and critical thinkers who model lifelong learning for our students. We continually question and evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching practices, and we discover better ways to reach our students. For students to reach their highest potential, teachers must be free to use these discoveries to select the most appropriate assessments and the best curriculum to fit the needs of each group of students.