MIPE is NOT a union

People often get confused between a teachers' association like MIPE, and a union. MIPE is NOT a union.

MIPE is a professional organization, not a labor union like the NEA and MEA.

 MIPE  opposes the adversarial approach unions favor; we avoid political activism of unions; and we work to promote teaching as a profession and not merely a job.

MIPE was created by Arizona teachers for Arizona teachers to:  

1. provide membership benefits (such as professional liability insurance and other member-requested benefits);  

2. help teachers secure their employee rights when needed;  

3. work with district officials (administrators & school board members) in resolving problems; and  

4. promote quality, safe education for students.

In Mesa, we work closely with the Assistant Superintendent for HR and district counsel to resolve problems, help “bad” teachers either improve or find employment in a non-education field, and improve communication between teachers and administrators.

MIPE's Executive Director, David Smith often attends meetings to mediate and help principals and teachers solve problems.  As a retired teacher with 30 years experience in Mesa classrooms and as a former student of Mesa Schools, David is familiar with the history of district policies and personnel. He helps resolve conflicts between Mesa teachers and administrators while improving classroom instruction for students. 

MIPE is proud to have a good relationship with the district administration and school board which we have built over our 30 year history in Mesa by conducting ourselves in a professional and proactive manner.

As you can see, we are NOT a union. 

MPE is MIPE

To protect the interests of Mesa Professional Educators’ members and to ensure that they continue to get the high-quality benefits they are accustomed to receiving, MPE has decided to become an independent organization and has resumed using our original name which is Mesa Independent Professional Educators, or MIPE. We have also opened up membership to all certificated teachers and educational support staff who work anywhere in Arizona, not just in the Mesa Unified School District.

What does this mean for Arizona teachers? For the low cost of $299.00 per year, MIPE is pleased to offer the following benefits:

·   $2 million Liability Policy to protect teachers in the event of lawsuit.

·  Expert help during employment problems—the same executive director who has served our members for the last 25 years is still the executive director of MIPE offering premium service, advice, and representation during employment difficulties. No other organization can offer this benefit.

·    Payroll deduction—Payroll deduction for MIPE membership dues will continue as before.

·    Employee rights legal services—MIPE assists members with employee rights problems.

·  Not a union. MIPE never spends money on political candidates nor partisan politics nor controversial social issues. All dues provide member benefits and services—none go to any other organization or person.

·  Principal evaluation—MIPE will continue to offer its members the opportunity to evaluate their principal using our exclusive Principal Evaluation survey.. 

All the benefits of MPE membership have been re-established now that we are MIPE, a fully independent organization. We at MIPE look forward to serving all Arizona teachers needs for many years to come.