Sussex County Education Association

11/03/2026

IT’S ELECTION DAY!

Union members’ strength is in their voice, and their voice is in their vote.

The decisions made at every level of government impact our classrooms, our schools, our students, and our livelihoods. From public education funding and affordable healthcare to pensions, collective bargaining rights, and the future of our profession, elections have consequences.

Today, let’s make our voices heard at the ballot box.

NJEA has endorsed candidates who support public education and the rights of working families. View NJEA’s 2026 endorsed candidates here:

https://election.njea.org/endorsements2026/

Locally, the Sussex County Education Association is proud to endorse:

* Dr. Clare Golden for Sussex County Clerk
* Phil DeStefano for Sussex County Commissioner

Our votes are an opportunity to stand up for the issues that matter to our members, our students, and our communities.

Our strength is in our solidarity. Our power is in our participation.

Make your voice count. VOTE!

10/29/2026

What does it mean to be UNION STRONG? What does union action look like?

It starts with solidarity…and grows stronger when we put that solidarity into action.

It looks like showing up at a local meeting, speaking at a Board of Education meeting, contacting legislators, attending a rally, and standing beside colleagues when they need support.

It means organizing around affordable healthcare, fighting for fair compensation and secure pensions, protecting our contracts, and defending public education.

It means asking questions, holding leadership accountable, sharing information, bringing new members into the conversation, and making sure every voice is heard.

And it means recognizing that our fights are connected across our locals, our county, our state, and our country.

We have work to do. And no one is going to do it for us except us.

We cannot afford to be complacent or allow decisions about our livelihoods, our profession, and our future to simply happen TO us.

We need to organize, mobilize, and take action FOR ourselves and one another.

Every conversation, every meeting, every member who steps forward strengthens our collective power.

We ARE the union. We ARE the power.

The question isn’t what someone else is going to do about it.

The question this: What are YOU going to do?

10/29/2026

Important discussions at the Sussex County Fall Collective Bargaining Council focused on some of the most pressing issues facing our members and public education.

From the threat of school vouchers and the need for a fair, equitable, and predictable school funding formula to the ongoing healthcare crisis, there is a lot at stake.

We also clarified the sunset of Chapter 44 at the end of 2027, what that means for healthcare negotiations in 2028, and why passing legislation that addresses the underlying costs of healthcare is so critical. We cannot continue shifting rising costs onto employees and school districts without addressing what is driving those increases.

These issues are connected. They impact our compensation, benefits, job security, students, schools, and the communities we serve.

Staying informed is just the beginning. We need to organize, mobilize, and take action at the local, county, and state levels.

The decisions being made now will shape our future. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Our collective strength comes from what we do together.

10/28/2026

Strong unions start with strong conversations, and today in Hopatcong, our members had plenty to say!

Strong unions start with strong conversations, and today in Hopatcong, our members had plenty to say!

We were excited to join NJEA President Steve Beatty for his Lunch with the Local, where members shared their concerns about the issues that matter most: compensation, time, benefits, and pensions.

The conversation quickly turned to action, with members asking how they could make their voices heard and become more involved. That’s what union strength is all about—giving members the opportunity to engage, participate, and help shape our future.

We also enjoyed celebrating and spending time with Jim McKowen, our Sussex County Teacher of the Year!

A special thank you to NJEA Field Rep Antoinette Blaustein and President Steve Beatty for bringing everyone together.

It was a great reminder that when members have a voice and a seat at the table, our entire union is stronger!

10/25/2026

Today, we walked with purpose. We walked with love. And we walked for the warriors. 🩷

At today’s Susan G. Komen MORE THAN PINK Walk, we walked for the incredible women of Sussex County, our friends and colleagues in Sparta, and our fellow union members across New Jersey who have faced breast cancer with extraordinary courage and strength.

Far too many of our friends, colleagues, and loved ones have fought this battle. We walked for those still fighting, those who have survived, those we have lost, and the families who have stood beside them through it all.

Behind every diagnosis is a person, a family, a story, and a community forever changed.

Today reminded us of the power of showing up for one another. Whether in our schools, our unions, or our communities, solidarity means standing together when it matters most.

To every warrior across New Jersey: We see you. We stand with you. And today, we walked for you. 🩷

10/24/2026

10/23/2026

Let’s Gooooooo!

A New Jersey public high schools needs our support! Sussex County Technical School in Sparta has reached the finalist round in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition, and they are the only school in the state to make the top 40 nationwide. With your support they have a chance to win the $1 million grand prize for a much needed football field renovation. Submit a vote daily to help them earn the grand prize. Vote now using the first comment below ⬇️

10/19/2026

Let’s Go, Sussex County and friends across NJ- Sussex County Vo Tech is on the leaderboard in the East!!

Let’s vote to win these kids something great!

T-Mobile's Friday Night 5G Lightscompetition gives small-town high schools across America the opportunity to transform their athletic facilities, with one school ultimately winning a $1 million field renovation.
Out of more than 2,500 schools nationwide, Sussex County Technical School in Sparta is the only New Jerseys ONLY finalist, one of just 40 schools remaining with 10 in each region.
Sussex Tech has already won $30,000 and are now in 2nd place in the East Division, competing against nine other schools for $250,000 and a spot in the final four, where we'll have a chance to win the million-dollar field transformation.
For Sussex Tech, this is life-changing. Our students play on a field with outdated goalposts from 1968, a broken scoreboard, and no stadium lights.
This is about more than football. It's about giving these kids, and generations to come, a place to call home and a community they can be proud of.
The competition is now decided by public voting, and we need New Jersey to rally! One FREE vote daily through October 25. Every vote counts!

Website Link about Competition- https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/friday-night-5g-lights

Link to Vote-

https://fn5gl.t-mobile.com/vote/sussex-county-technical-school
Sussex Tech Voting QR Code- https://we.tl/t-zS2mmMMNvp0r7JTr

10/17/2026

350+ PEOPLE. 10 DOGS. AND DEMOCRACY ON THE NEWTON GREEN!

What an incredible turnout for today’s No Kings Early Vote Rally! Neighbors, union members, advocates, and community leaders came together with a shared commitment to protecting our democracy.

“Power belongs to the people. And if the labor movement has taught us anything, it’s that power is not something we wait to be given. Power is something we build together!”

Solidarity is how we build collective strength. Voting is how we put that strength into action.

The labor movement understands that the rights we enjoy today were won because people organized, stood together, and demanded a voice. Our democracy depends on that same commitment, and the ballot box is one of our most powerful tools to protect it.

A special thank you to our community speakers, H3AL, the League of Women Voters, and all the advocacy organizations who helped make today possible. Your dedication to civic engagement strengthens our entire community.

We showed up together today. Now let’s vote with that same sense of purpose. Make your plan, cast your ballot, and encourage others to do the same.

LONG LIVE THE VOTE!