Together a Stronger Voice for Educators Become a Member
When educators are heard, respected, and given the resources we need, we can give students our very best. With more members like you, Massachusetts Teachers Association educators will have an even stronger voice to improve our daily lives and the lives of our students.
Aspiring Educators and Retired Educators
Learn more about our offerings for aspiring educators and retired members and sign up to be an MTA member.
Join Now Aspiring Members Retired Members
Good Reasons to Belong
Power and Voice.
Our union gives us a voice and the power to improve our working conditions and students’ learning conditions. Through collective action, we have fought for fair and equitable treatment of all public education employees, preserved health insurance benefits, challenged standardized testing and privatization, and championed racial and economic justice.
Bargaining Strength.
Bargaining is the powerful tool we use to demand fair wages and benefits and create the workplaces we deserve. Members within each local define the priorities they want to achieve through bargaining, and the grievance process gives us the ability to enforce our workplace rights.
Funding.
Our collective voice calls for the funding necessary to enable all students to have access to an excellent public education, from preK through graduate school. Working together, we won the Student Opportunity Act and the Fair Share Amendment. The latter is providing over $2 billion a year in additional funding for public education and transportation.
Advocacy and Accountability.
Our union has a grievance process that addresses contract violations and empowers us to stand together against unjust and unfair treatment. We also pursue unfair labor practice charges when management fails to bargain with us or retaliates based on union activity. We advocate for meaningful legislation and change, including a ballot question that ended the punitive use of MCAS as a high school graduation requirement.
Legal Services and Liability Insurance.
Our union provides expert attorneys at no additional cost to members for legal assistance and representation on issues that may arise from your employment. Your membership also includes an insurance policy that provides up to $1 million in civil liability coverage for claims made against you in your role and capacity as an educator.
Democracy.
Every member’s voice counts. Local, state and national union leaders are elected by members. Members vote on contract agreements and take action through the union on the issues that matter most to them.
Fairness.
Unions have fought for and must defend important legal protections against unjust firings and other job-related sanctions.
Professional Training and Leadership Development.
The MTA and the NEA coordinate live, online and hybrid trainings and workshops available at no cost or low cost to members. Many offerings provide you with professional development and opportunities for growth so that you can become a leader — in your local, at the state and national levels, and in your community.
Collaboration with Colleagues.
Members connect with colleagues across the state in member-led communities that reflect the diverse districts we work in, join MTA committees and attend conferences addressing issues connected to racial and social justice, public education and workers’ rights.
Economic Benefits.
Your membership includes access to thousands of dollars in savings — more than the cost of your dues — on goods and services ranging from auto insurance to vacation planning.
Membership Types
MTA members reflect the diversity of the students and communities we serve, united by a shared commitment to justice and excellence in public education and public service. No matter where you are in your career, there’s a place for you in the movement.
PreK-12 Teachers
The MTA membership includes 94,000 prek-12 educators. These educators hold a variety of positions including classroom teachers, reading and literacy specialists, school psychologists, guidance counselors and more.
Education Support Professionals
Education Support Professionals include paraprofessionals, secretaries, food service workers, custodians and transportation staff who help educate the whole child. They keep our schools running smoothly and ensure students are safe, healthy and ready to learn every day.
Higher Education Members
Our higher education members work in Massachusetts' community colleges, state universities and UMass. They are faculty and adjuct faculty, professional staff and Education Support Professionals. Our higher ed membership hold roles necessary to provide a rich, equitable education to college students, from administrators to adjunct faculty, counselors to program coordinators and administrative staff.
Aspiring Educators
Aspiring educators are college students preparing for careers in education and are proud members of MTA Aspiring Educators, part of the Students Education Association of Massachusetts.
Retired Educators
Joining MTA Retired is a way to stay connected to your career, your colleagues, and the community you’ve been part of. MTA Retired offers opportunities for personal growth, continued advocacy on important issues and social events designed for an active and engaged lifestyle.
