Professionals United!

The Des Moines Education Association is both a union and a professional association. We are united by our goal to promote quality teaching and learning environments in every classroom across Des Moines. We represent over 3,500 hard working teachers, educational support professionals, nurses, and certified support staff in the Des Moines Public Schools. We are also the local affiliate of the Iowa State Education Association and the National Education Association.

Our mission is to promote quality public education by placing our students at the center of everything we do while advocating for education professionals.

Join Us!

If you are an employee of the Des Moines Public Schools and a member of one of the bargaining units we represent, we ask you to join us in our work by becoming a member.  Join us by completing our online membership form here! 

Our Core Values

We value quality public education and are committed to the success of every student.

We value elevating the education profession because we are most effective in an environment that respects our rights and responsibilities and provides fair compensation for all.

We value membership in the association because it demonstrates collective care for the needs of students, educators and the community.

We value strong public interaction because effective schools require all of us to be held accountable including students, educators, parents, communities and public leaders.

We value highly qualified and dedicated educators who engage in continuous improvement.

We value a proactive organization with leaders who articulate vision, anticipate issues, seek full participation of members and take action.

We are a Union

As the certified bargaining unit for teachers, educational support professionals, nurses, and secretaries, the DMEA negotiates salaries, benefits, and contracts. Our goal is to ensure that these groups are given the pay and benefits they deserve as professionals.

DMEA also works to ensure that the employment contract is enforced fairly by the district. DMEA also protects the due process rights of all education professionals when they are evaluated.

We are a Professional Association 

The DMEA cares deeply about the education profession. We advocate for best practices in the classroom and supporting educators who want to better use best practices. We provide professional development opportunities for all of our members.

It is our belief that strong mentoring, support, and training is needed to continually improve the craft of educators and education professionals. We work hard to ensure that every educational professional has access to quality professional development and training opportunities and be given the time to properly implement what they have learned.

We also advocate for providing equal, quality educational opportunities for every child in the city. It is one of our duties to continually push for educational policies and practices that put the diverse needs of our students at the center.

The Local Voice for Public Education

Every educational decision happens in a political environment. DMEA takes an active role in speaking to the local school board, lobbying state lawmakers, and trying to educate candidates for public office on what’s best for our schools and our kids. We also find it important to find ways  to engage our community in ongoing discussions about what our schools should look like and how we can better support the development of our children.

DMEA provides our members with a chance to become involved and work for better public policy that improves public schools and provides a better life for all of our children.

Join Us!

If you are an employee of the Des Moines Public Schools, we ask you to join us in our work by becoming a member.  Join us by completing our online membership form here!