AERA, the retired division of AEA was founded in 1955. It is made up of 76 local units, including eight higher education units. These units are divided into ten districts. There is at least one local unit in each Alabama county. AERA works closely with NEA-Retired and is currently the third largest state retiree group in NEA-Retired. AERA is also a partner with the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA), which is a division of AARP.