Tina Dare has been elected as the next secretary-treasurer of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), a role she will begin on September 1. Dare is a chemistry teacher at Delsea Regional High School and has held various union leadership roles, including president of the Delsea Education Association and chair of the NJEA Government Relations Committee.
Dare will be serving alongside Steve Beatty, the current NJEA Vice President and soon-to-be president, and Petal Robertson, the current NJEA Secretary-Treasurer and incoming vice president. Their election marks a new leadership era for NJEA as Dare, Beatty, and Robertson were all chosen by the NJEA membership.
NJEA President Sean Spiller praised Dare, saying, “Tina is a tremendous advocate for NJEA members, our students and our public schools. I’m confident that NJEA members will be in good hands under Steve, Petal and Tina’s leadership. This is a critical time for New Jersey and the nation, so I’m glad our union will continue to have strong, committed leadership in the coming years.”
Beatty and Robertson extended their congratulations to Dare: “We look forward to working closely with Tina to continue the momentum we are building at NJEA. She understands the challenges we face and carries a deep commitment to advocacy and justice into this work. We are in the midst of a critical election season here in New Jersey and are facing a crisis of democracy nationally. Tina will bring great energy and another perspective to our work and will be a great representative for NJEA members across the state as we work to elect Sean Spiller as governor, protect public education and maintain the nation’s best public schools.”
Expressing her enthusiasm for the new role, Dare stated, “I thank my fellow members for trusting me with this responsibility. We are facing many challenges right now, but we also have many opportunities to show what real union solidarity can accomplish. I’m excited to work with Steve, Petal and all NJEA members to elevate our profession, protect our students and make our great public schools even stronger.”
Spiller is NJEA’s endorsed candidate for governor and will remain president until August 31. Each NJEA state officer has the possibility of serving two consecutive terms, with the first beginning this September for Beatty, Robertson, and Dare.
