Mission Statement

Teacher unions must provide leadership for the collective voice of their members. Teacher unions have a responsibility to students, their families, and to the broader society. Teacher unions are committed to public education as a vital element of our democracy. What unites these responsibilities is our commitment to help all children learn. We affirm the union's responsibility to collaborate with other stakeholders in public education and to seek consistently higher levels of student achievement by:

  • Improving continuously the quality of teaching.
  • Promoting in public education and in the union democratic dynamics, fairness, and due process for all.
  • Seeking to expand the scope of collective bargaining to include instructional and professional issues.
  • Improving on an ongoing basis the terms and conditions under which both adults and children work and learn. 

TURN Membership

(revised, 10/4/2008)

All teacher unionists and interested colleagues are welcome at TURN conferences. In order to become a principal member local of TURN and participate in the caucus, a local needs to be accepted as a member.  Inquiries about membership in TURN by an AFT or NEA local may be directed to the TURN Director or Co-Directors.

Membership in TURN is approved by consensus of the Caucus of Principal Members. The total number of affiliated locals is limited to preserve a size that is conducive to productive discussions and ongoing relationships. In addition, the network strives to maintain a relative balance between AFT and NEA affiliates.

Membership in TURN is dependent upon three criteria:

  1. Personal commitment by the Principal Member and Associate Member(s) to TURN’s Mission Statement and Standards for Responsible and Responsive Teacher Unions
  2. A demonstrated commitment by the local to meaningful school, school district and, local union level reform. For example:
    • Union Reform & Innovation
    • Teacher Quality and Teachers’ Work
    • School Quality and Structural Change
    • Systemic Reform
    • Non-school Issues that Impact Readiness to Learn
  3. An institutional commitment by the local to its affiliation with TURN that can be evidenced in a number of ways that may include:
    • Approval by the local union Executive Council/Board of Directors of TURN’s Mission Statement and Standards for Responsible and Responsive Teacher Union, and the request to become a TURN affiliate
    • Participation by multiple representatives of the local union, and district leaders, in TURN conferences, both before and after formal affiliation
    • A line item in the local budget to support leadership participation in TURN conferences, that ensures broader membership awareness of the local’s participation in TURN
    • Assistance to and participation in the development of regional TURN networks.
    • A Local Action Plan that reflects a proactive union agenda.