GAITHERSBURG, MD–December 7, 2009– The National Education Association (NEA) Academy has partnered with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency, to offer the NEA's 3.2 million members access to the ADL's online professional development tool, Making Diversity Count.  

The Making Diversity Count course is designed for secondary school educators who are seeking to create and sustain a classroom environment that promotes respect, fairness, and equity. The course also aims to enhance educators' cultural competency when working with students of diverse backgrounds. Through the NEA-ADL partnership, NEA members will have access to the 15-hour online course for the special price of $126.

"The NEA Academy supports educators by offering them anytime, anywhere professional development courses that works with their busy lifestyle," said Mark Stevens, vice president of professional and Web solutions for NEA Member Benefits. "We are thrilled to provide our members special access to this important course from the ADL, the leading provider of anti-bias education programs."

To ensure that the Making Diversity Count course provides superior professional learning opportunities, the program was prescreened against a set of quality standards that were developed by NEA members in consultation with the National Staff Development Council. Before the course was included in the Academy, it was also recommended by a Quality Review Board consisting of NEA members and state staff.  This peer-review process ensures members receive the highest quality courses.

"Today's educators are increasingly faced with the challenges and opportunities presented by multi-cultural populations in schools," said Dr. Ed S. Alster, director of education, ADL. "Making Diversity Count was created to help educators meet this challenge by providing them with tools to build classrooms that are inclusive and equitable."

For additional information about the NEA Academy and Making Diversity Count, please visit: http://sites.nea.org/academy/onlinecourses/making-diversity-count.html

About the NEA Academy & NEA Member Benefits

The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers. The NEA Academy is the professional learning group developed to support educators with the highest quality online programs and is dedicated to meeting the professional needs of teachers and education support professionals.

NEA MB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NEA charged with bringing additional value to Association membership by providing financial products and solutions tailored for NEA members and their families.