Two Types of Professional Associations to Join in the Education Industry?

Answer 1

The Education Industry is a huge field and it is very important to find your niche and be active in your field. There are many professional development opportunities available within one’s respective school district, but one should also find other professional development opportunities that may have a different perspective and serve a difference purpose than district-provided in-services. All educators should join at least two types of professional associations, which are the following: (a) core or content area association; and (b) professional liability association.

A great way to join professional associations that provide opportunities to gain professional development and share resources with the world is to look at what you are passionate about and/or which subject area in which you are teaching. Core or content area organizations are for teachers who basically concentrate on a certain content area or field of study. For example, a math teacher may want to choose a math professional organization such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The NCTM allows professionals to connect with other math experts around the globe.

Depending on the organization, individuals can have their school district pay for the professional development. This will definitely be a good way to have your expenses paid to attend a state-of-the art conference. In the event that they are not able to pay for it, individuals can claim this professional development as an educator’s expense. Please make sure to check with your tax advisor to ensure that this expense can be deducted as a professional expense that is tied to one’s profession.

The second type of association that educators should join is a professional liability association. Any professional liability association would be good because it protects one if he or she ever needs the coverage. However, it is very important to choose associations that are exclusively for educators and not administrators or other professionals. This guarantees that the association has one’s best interest in mind and when it comes to ever having to use your liability benefits, it eases one mind to know that he or she is getting the best service possible.

The bottom line is educators need to join at least two types of professional associations and they should weigh the advantages and disadvantages to get the best deal for their professional needs.