Typically, public school teachers who want to opt out of their union must still accept representation from the recognized bargaining representative for their school district (and in non-right-to-work states pay agency fees), but they lose some of the benefits of being a union member.
Several groups have stepped up to fill that void, including the Association of American Educators and the Christian Educators Association International. The primary benefit of these organizations is access to liability insurance. Annual membership dues for these organizations are generally much less than full union dues — approximately $198 for the AAE and $239 for the CEAI.[48]
In addition to liability insurance, the AAE offers legal protections and services, college scholarships, grants, newsletters and other professional resources.[49] The CEAI provides $2 million worth of liability insurance, legal assistance and a number of insurance plans (life, disability, health, auto, home, ID theft and more).[50]