Kentucky Education Association

What Kentucky Education Association does

The Kentucky Education Association (KEA) is a nonprofit professional association and teachers' union founded in 1857 and headquartered at 401 Capital Avenue in Frankfort, Kentucky. It serves 44,000+ members across four segments: certified educators, education support professionals (classified staff such as paraprofessionals, aides, food service, custodial, and bus drivers), aspiring educators, and retired educators. KEA's core mission is to advocate at the Kentucky state legislature and in local school districts for educator compensation, benefits, working conditions, retirement security, and quality public education, while providing member services including legal representation, liability coverage, and professional development.

KEA's product portfolio centers on membership (with tiered dues collected via the KEA SMART PAY payroll deduction system), a Professional Learning Catalog delivered through a LearnUpon-powered portal, the Kentucky Rank Advancement Academy (KRAA) delivered in partnership with Western Kentucky University, National Board Certification support, the T2 peer-observation program, over 100 micro-credentials, Praxis exam preparation, the Ethnic Minority Scholarship program, and the Kentucky Educator Advocacy Days legislative engagement program. Technology is primarily a conventional SaaS stack: LearnUpon for learning management, a Halo-based member portal, digital badging, and online event registration. There is no disclosed proprietary AI/ML technology or in-house engineering function. Distribution runs through 12 UniServ regional offices providing localized advocacy, legal coordination, and organizing, supplemented by self-serve online enrollment and direct field outreach.

The revenue model is fundamentally subscription-based on membership dues, supplemented by fees for professional development programs (micro-credentials at $150 for non-members, Praxis tutoring partnerships, workshop fees), scholarship program administration, and shared legal services funding with the National Education Association. A discounted trial membership ($20/month certified, $10/month classified) was introduced for the 2025-26 membership year to drive acquisition. KEA operates as the Kentucky state affiliate of the National Education Association, giving members access to national advocacy resources, member benefits programs, liability insurance, and representation at the NEA Representative Assembly.

Name

Kentucky Education Association

Legal name

Kentucky Education Association

Website

https://kea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kentucky Education Association is a nonprofit teachers' union and professional association founded in 1857, serving 44,000+ Kentucky public school educators through legislative advocacy, professional development, legal services, and member benefit programs as the state's NEA affiliate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Professional Association Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Teacher union services
• Educator professional development
• Education advocacy
• Membership association
• Professional learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: KEA generates revenue through membership dues from certified educators, classified employees, retired members, and aspiring educators. Dues are collected on a recurring basis through payroll deduction (KEA SMART PAY). Trial memberships available at reduced rates.
2. Professional Development Programs: Revenue from professional development courses, with many offerings free to members and paid options for non-members. Micro-credentials, workshops, and certification support programs generate program fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kentucky Education Association (KEA) is a nonprofit professional association and teachers' union serving over 44,000 Kentucky educators. It sells individual memberships bundled with legal representation, liability coverage, insurance discounts, legislative advocacy, and a broad catalog of professional development offerings including micro-credentials, certification support, and rank advancement programs.

Product overview

The Kentucky Education Association (KEA) operates as a teachers' union and professional association offering a comprehensive suite of membership-based products and services for Kentucky educators. The core offering is KEA Membership, which provides legal representation, insurance benefits, and financial discounts, supplemented by robust professional development through the KEA Professional Learning Catalog. Professional development products include the Kentucky Rank Advancement Academy (KRAA) for career advancement, National Board Certification Support, the T2 peer observation program, over 100 Micro-Credentials, Praxis exam preparation, and New Educator Resources. KEA also provides scholarships (Ethnic Minority Scholarships), advocacy programs (Kentucky Educator Advocacy Days), the Student Behavior Support Survey for safety data collection, and Legal Services including an Attorney Referral Program. All offerings are accessible through the member portal and LearnUpon-based training platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KEA Fellows: Professional development leadership program for KEA members
• Kentucky Rank Advancement Academy (KRAA)
• T2 Program
• KEA Ethnic Minority Scholarship
• KEA SMART PAY

Products and services

• KEA Membership Organizational membership program for Kentucky educators bundling legal services, insurance, financial discounts, professional development, and advocacy representation across four member categories.
• KEA Professional Learning Catalog Searchable catalog of professional development courses and training programs for Kentucky educators covering classroom culture, DEI, exceptional learners, instructional strategies, and technology integration.
• Kentucky Rank Advancement Academy (KRAA) Partnership with Western Kentucky University and NEA providing rank change pathways for Kentucky educators, including the Specialized PGP Pathway and Leadership Pathway (WKU Ed.D.) with mentor support.
• National Board Certification Support Support program for educators pursuing National Board Certification, including Jump Start seminars, Maintenance of Certification cohorts, and Professional Learning Facilitator training.
• T2 Program (Teachers to the Power of Two) Peer observation and collaboration program that reimburses KEA teacher members up to $175 per visit for substitute costs and mileage when visiting colleagues to plan joint classroom strategies.
• Micro-Credentials Job-embedded professional learning program of over 100 competency-based digital badges (~15 hours each), developed and evaluated by practicing educators; free for KEA members and $150 for non-members.
• Praxis Exam Preparation Praxis Core preparation including group cohort sessions and individual tutoring through 240 Tutoring, with KEA members receiving a 50% discount on 240 Tutoring courses.
• Legal Services Program Member protection program offering employee representation, Educator Employment Liability coverage, and an Attorney Referral Program with two free half-hour consultations per year plus a 30% discount on hourly attorney rates.
• Member Benefits Program Discount and savings program for members including affordable insurance, NEA Discount Marketplace, Travelers Auto & Home Insurance, and discounted travel services.
• Kentucky Educator Advocacy Days Annual legislative engagement program in which KEA members attend committee meetings, meet with legislators, and learn about the legislative process during the Kentucky legislative session.
• KEA Ethnic Minority Scholarships Progressive scholarship awarding $5,000 over four years to two ethnic-minority freshman college students pursuing an education degree at Kentucky colleges, plus KEA mentorship.
• New Educator Resources Virtual interactive booklets created by practicing Kentucky educators covering advocacy, classroom culture, parent involvement, professional rights, and technology for new teachers.
• Student Behavior Support Survey (SBSS) Anonymous 10-minute survey of school employees collecting data on educator safety in Kentucky schools, analyzed by independent researchers to inform public policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kentucky has more than 3,500 National Board Certified Teachers supported by KEA programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• National Education Association (NEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEA is the Kentucky state affiliate of NEA, the nation's largest professional organization for educators. This partnership provides KEA members with access to national advocacy resources, professional development content, member benefits programs, National Board Certification support, liability insurance, and representation at the NEA Representative Assembly. The partnership includes unified legal services funding and collaborative program development.
• Western Kentucky University (WKU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEA partners exclusively with WKU for the Kentucky Rank Advancement Academy (KRAA), a unique continuing education option for Kentucky educators seeking rank changes. The partnership includes the Leadership Pathway with WKU's Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and the Specialized PGP Pathway. WKU provides graduate admission and degree programs while KEA provides mentorship, cohort coordination, and professional development.
• Campbellsville UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEA partners with Campbellsville University to provide educator preparation pathway opportunities and higher education options for aspiring and current Kentucky educators seeking advancement.
• Teachers' Retirement System of Kentucky (TRS)coreOthersKEA works closely with TRS to advocate for pension protection, supports member elections to the TRS Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee, and provides resources to help educators understand their retirement benefits.
• Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB)secondaryOthersKEA collaborates with EPSB for approved training programs that meet educator certification and professional development requirements. Many KEA courses are pre-approved on the EPSB course list for various educator needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Education Minnesota: Education Minnesota is an NEA state affiliate and combined union/professional association serving Minnesota educators. Comparable because of the integrated union-plus-PD model and broad use of micro-credential and professional learning programs.
• New York State United Teachers (NYSUT): NYSUT is a large statewide teacher union (NEA/AFT affiliate) representing New York educators. Comparable due to its scale as a state-level educator association offering advocacy, legal services, PD, and member benefits on a comparable membership model.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): AFT is the second major national teachers' union with state and local affiliates across the country, including in Kentucky. Comparable because AFT competes with KEA/NEA affiliates for the same educator members, advocacy influence, and professional development delivery.
• Florida Education Association (FEA): FEA is an NEA state affiliate representing Florida educators with parallel advocacy, PD, and membership offerings. Comparable because of the same union structure but in a state with active right-to-work and union policy debates, providing a relevant external stress test.
• Ohio Education Association (OEA): OEA is an NEA state affiliate representing Ohio educators with comparable advocacy, professional development, and member benefit offerings. Comparable due to the same state-level union model, regional UniServ structure, and adjacent Midwest political environment.
• Illinois Education Association (IEA): IEA is an NEA state affiliate serving Illinois educators with a similar mix of advocacy, PD, legal services, and member benefits. Comparable because of the parallel state-affiliate structure, dues-based revenue, and UniServ-style regional organization.
• Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA): PSEA is an NEA state affiliate serving Pennsylvania educators with comparable advocacy, PD, and member services. Comparable due to similar state-affiliate scale, dues-funded model, and emphasis on teacher certification and advancement.
• Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA): TSTA is an NEA state affiliate representing Texas educators with comparable advocacy, PD, and member benefit offerings. Comparable because of the same state-level union structure operating in a politically distinct environment with active membership-erosion dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the largest U.S. educator labor organization and the direct national affiliate of KEA. Comparable because it sets the membership, advocacy, and PD framework that KEA operates within and extends locally in Kentucky.
• California Teachers Association (CTA): CTA is the NEA state affiliate in California and one of the largest teacher unions in the U.S. Comparable because of the same state-affiliate membership, advocacy, and PD structure, and serves as a useful scale benchmark for KEA.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KYEducators
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgfIh-sRobAZPuYoisa5_aw
• Facebookfacebook.com/KEAmembers
• Instagraminstagram.com/kentuckyeducationassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-education-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Education Association