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State of AEA
September 2014


AEA, directed by its Board of Directors and contractual managers, is
in a crisis of leadership that threatens the future of the
organization. By all measures, AEA is at a critical point in its
history. AEA is beset with both external and internal threats to its
welfare and thus to its membership and to Alabama public education at
large.
The following provides data on the state of AEA in six areas
membership, finances, external standing, role of the Executive
Secretary, internal organizational standing and AEA staffing.

AEA Membership. While specific membership data are not
available, it is known that AEA membership is declining by the
thousands. It is imperative that the strongest plans possible be
developed to maintain membership and that membership projections
be reflected in the FY 15 AEA budget.

AEA Finances. The following data show that expenditures have
increased while revenues, membership fees, assets and savings
have all dropped since FY 11. Savings (Reserves) have dropped
from some $13 million in FY 11 to $6 million in FY 13. If a
substantial part of this reserve is used to balance the current
year or FY 15 budget, no reserve will be left.

FY 11 FY 12 FY 13 FY 14
Revenues (millions) $21.1 $19.8 $18.6 -$ 2.5 (millions)
Expenditures $21.5 $20.8 $21.9 +$ .4
Membership Fees $15.0 $14.1 $13.7 -$ 1.3
Assets $20.8 $20.2 $16.5 -$ 4.5
Current Assets $17.1 $16.7 $12.9 -$ 4.2
Savings $12.7 $ 9.9 $ 6.5 -$ 6.2

External Standing of AEA. In no area has AEA suffered more
damage than in the Alabama political arena, specifically in
relationships with the Governors Office and the Legislature.
AEA has been attacked and undermined in almost every conceivable
way including:

o Loss of payroll deduction
o Exclusion from the RSA Boards
o K-12 public school funding cut (18.7%) more than in any
other state in the nation
o Per pupil expenditures cut 21.7%
o Loss of some 8,000 public education personnel, including
teachers

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Role of the Executive Secretary. The style, personality and
performance of the Executive Secretary have created intolerable
friction between AEA and members of both parties in the
Legislature with resultant loss of respect, standing and
influence. Legislators and others complain that telephone calls
are not returned during the session. The Executive Secretarys
style has been described as a bull in a china shop who carries
the shop with him wherever he goes. The Executive Secretary has
been advised to stay out of the Legislature. Specific comments
and questions from members of the Legislature include, How long
is AEA going to keep Mabry? to Mabry is killing AEA in the
Legislature.

Internal Organizational Standing of AEA. Any organization faced
with external threats to its role and existence is severely
handicapped in addressing those threats, if the internal
organization and operation are also threatened.

AEA employees are committed to the organization, are competent
and able, work hard and are loyal. However, the morale, energy
and frustration levels of AEA employees are evident.

Currently, the work environment within AEA is not healthy.
Internal communication is absent or non-productive, an atmosphere
of intimidation exists. Specifically, the Executive Secretary is
isolated, by choice and design, non-communicative, secretive, and
relies, in large part, on external consultants rather than the
internal professional staff. Access to the Executive Secretary
is limited primarily to e-mail or telephone exchanges, most often
through his assistants. There are no staff meetings. The
Executive Secretarys office is dark, cluttered, uninviting and
essentially not usable except for the desk of the Executive
Secretary. Use of the third floor conference room is generally
prohibited.

The atmosphere of secretiveness, bullying and admonishments has
resulted in an atmosphere of intimidation and mistrust. A staff
member when recently approached about a work related topic asked,
in a whisper, that the discussion be held in the break room
because of fear of being overheard and misinterpreted to appear
to be questioning or challenging the Executive Secretary.

A staff member when asked by a colleague for job related data
replied, Sure, I will get the data. But, you know what?
Frankly, I dont care anymore. An external corporate executive
made the observation that, AEA is a twilight zone.

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AEA Staffing. With retirements and non-replacement of staff, the
internal professional staff has been reduced substantially.

o The four member Governmental Relations staff is gone
o The two-member member Member Benefits staff is gone
o The four member Public Relations staff is gone
o The Student Membership staff position no longer exists
o The Education Policy and Professional Practices staff is
reduced

These programmatic functions have been distributed among
remaining staff, combined in joint units or , for the most part,
contracted out to lobbyist and consultants. The practice of
hiring highly paid contract personnel and friends while
eliminating professional and management positions threatens the
terms and conditions of staff employment duly established by the
Board. Contract lobbyists are hired to do the job that AEA staff
could do and previously did. Outside lobbyist have no stake in
AEAs operations or its future.