NEA President: Union will stop aligning with political parties

Princess Moss, the new president of the National Education Association, wants the union to stop aligning itself with political parties. The NEA represents three million teachers and public workers across the country. Moss is taking the helm during a three-year term that coincides with rising inflation, a new federal tax credit for private schools starting in January, and the Trump administration's ongoing dismantling of the Department of Education.

Moss describes the current environment as a period of "resistance to renaissance." While her approach includes traditional union goals like professional autonomy and community organizing, her main departure from past leadership is a push for political independence. She wants the NEA to become its own political authority rather than a wing of a specific party. She cites her time leading the Virginia Education Association from 2004 to 2008 as proof that this strategy works.

In Virginia, Moss built coalitions across a divided state government that included a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled general assembly. She focused on shared issues rather than party lines to find allies in unexpected places. Now, with midterms approaching, she is applying that same mentality to the national stage. Her message to members is simple: talk about what students need, and do not frame it as a Democrat or Republican issue.

Moss grew up in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the daughter of two school bus drivers. She credits her second-grade teacher, Lucy T. Lewis, for inspiring her career. Lewis praised Moss's intelligence in 1968, even after she misspelled the word refrigerator in front of the class. Moss spent more than 20 years as an elementary school music teacher in a neighboring county before rising through the ranks of state and national union leadership.

Michael Petrilli, president of the Fordham Institute, calls Moss's plan a huge departure. The NEA recommended Joe Biden in 2020 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Petrilli has long argued that union positions can block teaching changes and rigid salary rules make it hard to fill certain jobs. However, he notes that many state-level races are leaning toward Democrats, the union's longtime allies.

Petrilli believes this puts unions in a strong position to drive education policy. He asks what the union will do with that power and what they will push Democratic governors to get done. Moss says she is focused on building a broad coalition of support for public schools regardless of political inclination. She states the bottom line is working with anyone who puts public education first.

The NEA faces a complex budget environment as inflation pressures school funding. The new education tax credit will direct federal dollars into private schools starting next month. Moss says the union will remain at decision-making tables as the experts on the issue. She emphasizes that public education is the foundation of democracy and that students are currently under attack.