NEA Strategy: Moss Pushes for Union Independence

Princess Moss, the new president of the National Education Association, has announced a plan to make the union a standalone political force. She intends to stop aligning the organization with specific political parties. Moss said, “I want us to become our own political authority.” She added that this means the union will no longer align itself with a political party.

Moss took the leadership role for a three-year term. She leads the largest labor union in the United States, representing 3 million teachers and public workers. Her stated goal is to guide the group through what she calls a period of resistance to renaissance. She aims to prioritize professional autonomy and community organizing while changing the union's political identity.

The union is operating under pressure from several fronts. Inflation is straining school budgets at the local level. A federal education tax credit that directs tax dollars to private schools takes effect in January. Simultaneously, the Trump administration is dismantling the Department of Education. Moss described the situation as public education being under attack, noting that the foundation of democracy relies on these institutions.

Moss’s approach draws on her experience in Virginia. She served as president of the Virginia Education Association from 2004 to 2008. During that time, she worked with a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled general assembly. She focused on building coalitions across party lines to support public education. She now plans to apply that strategy to the national level as midterm elections approach.

The NEA has traditionally backed Democratic candidates. In 2020, the union recommended Joe Biden. In 2024, it issued a formal endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris. Michael Petrilli, president of the Fordham Institute, noted that Moss’s new direction represents a huge departure from past practices. He observed that the union has been a stalwart supporter of the Democratic Party and vice versa.

Petrilli has historically criticized teachers unions for blocking changes to teaching methods. He also noted that strict salary rules can make it difficult to recruit staff for certain jobs. Despite these reservations, he said he is open to seeing where the union goes this year. He pointed out that many state-level races lean toward Democrats, which could give unions a strong position to drive education policy.

Moss is instructing her members to focus on student needs rather than party affiliation. She told members to talk about what their students need and avoid making education a partisan issue. She stated that the union will work with anyone who wants to put public education first, regardless of political inclination. She emphasized that the union is the expert on education and wants a seat at the decision-making tables.

Moss grew up in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the daughter of two school bus drivers. She worked as an elementary school music teacher for more than 20 years. She credited her second-grade teacher, Lucy T. Lewis, for inspiring her career. Lewis told Moss she was smart in 1968, even after Moss misspelled the word refrigerator in class. Moss said she wanted to help students learn and be their best despite mistakes.

The union’s next steps involve engaging with state leaders ahead of the midterms. Moss is focused on building a broad coalition of support for public schools. She plans to use the union’s size and influence to advocate for policies that benefit students. The NEA will monitor how state races unfold and adjust its strategy based on the outcomes.