Finally.
A professional association that offers teacher benefits, without the politics.
AAE provides the professional benefits New York teachers like you need, like liability insurance and job protection, without funding partisan politics or non-education issues.
And we do it for only $19.50 per month.
Get Teaching Protection and Benefits Without the Politics.
The Association of American Educators (AAE) offers a variety of membership options to cater to New York professionals at different stages of their educational careers:
Professional Membership: This option is available to full-time employees of educational entities such as teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, school psychologists, and school and district administrators. It includes a $2 million liability insurance policy. Professional membership costs $234 annually or $19.50 a month.
Student Membership: Designed for student teachers, this membership is available for $49 annually or $79 for a two-year term. It includes a $2 million liability insurance policy, offering essential protection during your teacher preparation and training period. If you are currently employed as a W-2 employee of an educational entity, please join as a Professional Member.
Associate Member: Membership designed for independent contractors who are ineligible for professional membership but still require liability coverage. Associate AAE membership is available at $39 annually, once members, associates can apply for private practice liability insurance.
Retired Educator: Retired educators can continue their AAE journey for an annual fee of $39. This membership is a great way to stay connected to the educational community and remain updated on industry trends and changes.
If you have any questions or need further clarification on membership types or benefits, please reach out to our Membership Services Team at 800-704-7799.
AAE Membership Options
Professional Membership Benefits Include:
$2 Million Liability Insurance
Job Protection Coverage
Teaching License Protection
No-Cost Life Insurance
Retail & Entertainment Discounts
Member Newsletters
Invitations to Trainings & Professional Development
Ready to Join?
Create your account to start the membership process
For only $19.50 a month, membership includes:
Professional Protection & Coverage
$2 Million Liability Insurance — personal policy covering daily risks, with defense costs paid in addition to liability limit.
Job Protection Coverage — up to $11,900 in legal support for due process defense if your job is threatened.
Teaching License Protection — up to $35,000 in legal support if your professional license or certification is challenged.
No-Cost Life Insurance — most new professional members receive one year of $60,000 in life insurance coverage.
Discounts & Deals
Retail & Entertainment Savings — access discounts on big brands (HP, Dell, Samsung, Blue Apron, Papa John’s, Chevron, Kay Jewelers, etc.)
Attraction Tickets — discounted admissions to theme parks and destinations like Disneyland, AMC Theaters, Legoland, San Diego Zoo, and more
Everyday Coupons — print savings for household staples like Pampers, Kellogg’s, Tylenol, Claritin, General Mills, Yoplait, Vicks, and more.
Professional Growth & Support
Exclusive Newsletters — receive AAE’s flagship Education Matters newsletter.
Invitations to Trainings & Professional Development — plus access to job postings and advocacy training opportunities.
Get $10 Off Your First Year of Membership
Use code 6TEN877 to save on your first year of AAE professional membership.
Get $10 off when you select an annual membership or $6 off a monthly membership.
Limited to new members purchasing a professional membership. $6 discount will be split across monthly payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
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AAE has membership levels for educators at all stages of their career, including:
-Professional membership ($19.50/month) that includes liability insurance, job protection coverage, teacher license protection, discounts, newsletters, and more;
-Student membership ($49/year) that includes liability insurance;
-Retired membership ($39/year) that includes discounts and newsletters; and
-Associate membership ($39/year) for private practice educators, supporters, and others that includes discounts and newsletters.
Anyone who receives a W-2 from an educational entity (e.g. public, public charter, parochial, or private school, university, or college) is eligible for the liability insurance and legal protection included in professional membership.
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Anytime. Unlike other associations AAE does not have narrow opt-out or opt-in windows. Start your membership today. End your membership at any time.
The liability insurance policy purchased for you as part of your professional membership will not cover incidents that occur prior to your joining the association. Sort of how you can’t buy car insurance after the accident.
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If you are threatened with a job action (termination, suspension, demotion, or involuntary transfer) contact the AAE office to start working with our legal team. A claim will be filed to activate job protection benefits, which provide up to $1,500 to consult with an attorney of your choice (or AAE will help you find one) and an additional $2,500 to work with an attorney if a hearing is requested. That means if you use legal services even one time, and it provides $4,000 in attorney’s fees, that is the equivalent of more than 17 years of dues!
If the hearing still ends in your termination, suspension, demotion, or involuntary transfer and you decide to file suit and you win or settle favorably, the policy covers up to $8,000 for attorney’s services (after $100 deductible).
Throughout the process you work with our legal services department, led by Sharon Nelson, AAE’s Director of Legal Services, who has more than two decades of experience protecting employees.
Job Protection Coverage is an endorsement included in the liability insurance policy that is purchased on your behalf when you become a Professional Member.
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Similar to Job Protection Coverage, Teacher License Protection is an endorsement included in the liability insurance policy that is purchased on your behalf when you become a Professional Member.
If you are named in a lawsuit seeking non-monetary relief (i.e. non-pecuniary relief), the policy will cover up to 90% of the reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees that you are legally obligated to pay, subject to a maximum payment by the insurance company of $35,000.
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You will be protected against a broad range of exposures, including the following allegations (whether those allegations are true or false):
-Injuries to students under your supervision
-Failure to educate
-Violation of students' civil rights
-Hiring unqualified persons
-Failure to promote students or grant credit
-Improper methods of instruction
-Each policy is an individual policy, which means there is no group aggregate. Defense costs are paid in addition to the liability limit.
Read a copy of the policy.
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While most likely your district will have liability insurance, this policy must protect the district, schools board members, trustees, administrators and teachers and must defend everything from their student admission policies to their employment practices. Institutions can end up spending millions of dollars to defend a case against them and the related damages or settlement amounts. If the district's policy is not broad enough — or exhausts its liability limits — you may find yourself personally and financially liable for alleged action or inaction.
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There are websites that help educators exercise their right to opt out of association membership at no cost: TeacherFreedom.org.
If you need to opt out of AAE you simply need to email or call the office. No reason needed, no waiting period, no complicated process.
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Contact our membership team today! 1-800-704-7799.
The Association of American Educators serves educators in all fifty states.
Founded in 1994 the Association of American Educators (AAE) serves more than 30,000 educators, retired educators, and pre-service educators throughout the country. For 30 years AAE has been a leader in individual educator rights and teacher advocacy.
AAE is committed to a teaching profession that is student oriented, well respected, and personally fulfilling. AAE is dedicated to restoring the true teacher voice to policy debates and implementation.
AAE’s focus on quality benefits, educator professionalism, and real protection at a reasonable price has attracted members from throughout the country. AAE’s 85% membership retention rate exceeds that of many professional associations.
