Many members of my constituent organization (NEA) suffered chronic health problems due to environmental restraints, lack of knowledge and support for changing their lifestyles as they affected their health. Members and the union staff and leadership were stressed out and wellness did not logically fit in to the core work of the union. After numerous conversations with members and leaders about the school employee wellness problem and possible solutions I decided to partner with a union expert who was part of a health plan/health promotion organization. We co-created a plan for convening a conversation with union, district and health plan representatives to find solutions that all three groups could support. We obtained funding from 2 sources to support a new initiative. We developed a strategy for bringing people together and leading a discussion about collaborative solutions. This important, because this put us on a track to solve a big problem in a way that only my organization could have done. It frankly had the possibility to set a template for how to confront myriad other health problems that the members were facing. We were attacking this problem in a way that would not only contribute to the health of members, but also create value for union membership which was a high priority for NEA at this time.

1. School Employee Wellness Advocacy Framework Project
NEA Healthy Futures and AASA, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, are engaging in a
collaborative, multi-sector process to develop an advocacy framework for improving
school employee wellness.
Goal: To develop and provide unions, school districts, and health insurance
representatives with a common framework for improving school employee wellness.
Organized by these five key strategies, this framework will identify evidence-driven
activities that could be implemented – and supported – by the three constituency groups.
1. Individual Behaviors
2. Environmental Factors
3. Healthcare Utilization
4. Policy/Systems
5. Outreach and Involvement
It is our aspiration that by the end of this process, the members of the three constituencies
will desire to advocate within their spheres of influence for these strategies through this
common framework and a series of recommended activities.
Given the collaborative nature of this effort, the constituency groups will need to keep our
shared vision for school employee wellness at the center, while recognizing where we may
have to recommend activities that are more modest but can prove that it is possible to
work together toward collective impact.
The role of the steering committee is primarily advisory -- to advise staff about how to
run the process of developing a framework that ensures we end up with a workable and
functional product. This would include reviewing our work products and providing
comments and recommendations. Secondarily, it is a networking resource, as we would
request that the members connect us with people in their networks who can serve as
interview participants, convening participants, and additional thought partners, as needed.
Implementation Phases
Our efforts are organized around three phases:
Phase 1: Situation Analysis and Planning (August- November 2015)
Phase 2: Planning and Holding the Convening (October 2015 – February 2016)
Phase 3: Framework Feedback, Synthesis, & Dissemination (February – July 2016)
Project lead: Jim Bender; jbender@nea.org, 202-822-7776