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Director of Government, Community and Racial and Social Justice | Indiana State Teachers Association
Jerell Blakeley’s moral compass pointed west from New Jersey to Indianapolis when a golden opportunity to impact equitable education opened up. The ISTA’s integrated racial and social justice role is unique among National Education Association affiliates. Blakeley leads a team that analyzes Indiana’s political landscape, builds relationships with elected officials and engages ISTA members in the political process. He co-founded the Indiana Educational Equity Foundation within the teachers’ union and unified a diverse group of advocates for civil rights, education and faith behind the ISTA’s common cause. “I am confident that the coalition will be a permanent fixture in the Hoosier educational landscape for years to come,” he said.
Getting here: Blakeley was a teenage campaign volunteer and spent two years teaching before finding his calling in government relations. While teaching, he became a building union representative and an organizational development consultant with the New Jersey Education Association and eventually joined the teachers’ union full time. The ISTA opportunity was one he couldn’t pass up. “I believe in the transformative power of public education for children and communities and the importance of teacher voice in the formation and execution of education policy. If we didn’t have public schools, our society would be rushing to create them.”
First job: High-school intern for New Jersey state representative
Givebacks: Board chair, Lawrence Redevelopment Commission; board member, National Association of Legislative and Political Specialists for Education, Fair Housing Center for Central Indiana, Government Affairs Society of Indiana, Children’s Law and Policy Initiatives of Indiana, and Dean Advisory Council for the Indiana University Indianapolis School of Education
Influential moment: During his first week as a high school teacher in New Jersey, a colleague suggested he apply for the union leadership development program. Though he wasn’t accepted, the colleague’s vote of confidence “dramatically altered the trajectory of my professional life, leading me to where I am today in Indiana.”
Advice: “Prepare for the opportunity you can’t see. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”•
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