NEOEA is composed of almost 33,000 members who are education employees working in public school districts, county DD Boards, and universities in the eleven counties of northeastern Ohio.

Within a school district or university one or more local affiliates are formed to represent the educational staff at those institutions.

The Representative Assembly is the main governing body within the United Education Profession.  The state RA meets twice a year in Columbus, and each local may elect one delegate per 50 members or major fraction.  Those delegates are seated at the district RA, along with one additional delegate for every 100 members or fraction.  The district RA meets in November and April of each school year to conduct the business of the Association, including electing officers and enacting items of new business, a budget, and a comprehensive body of resolutions.

Elected officers include a president, a president-elect, a past president, and a recording secretary. Thirty-four members of a proportional Board of Directors are also elected. The organization is apportioned into electoral units of about three thousand members each, and two Directors are elected from each unit. Both representatives serve on the NEOEA Executive Committee, while one also serves on the Ohio Education Association (OEA) Executive Committee. Provision is also made for at-large representation and for representing retired members. Also serving on the Board of Directors are any National Education Associaton (NEA) Directors elected from northeastern Ohio.

The members of the Board of Directors meet approximately ten times a year to put into effect the policies and directions of the Representative Assembly. The Board of Directors approves members to serve on twelve standing committees of the Association and four subcommittees of the Executive Committee. The Officers and Board of Directors employ an Executive Director who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Association and assists the leadership and members in carrying out their duties.

Founded in 1869, NEOEA is the largest education organization in northeastern Ohio and one of the oldest education organizations in the United States. Its constitution sets forth NEOEA's purposes as: "to serve as the voice for public education in northeastern Ohio; to advance the cause of education for all individuals; to promote professional improvement of its members; to promote recognition of the basic importance of the public educator in the learning process; to advance members' interests and welfare; and to provide local association leaders with the tools to become more effective advocates for public education, members, and students."