Education Union Leadership: Moss Pushes for Nonpartisan Identity
The new National Education Association president says she will steer the 3-million-member group away from formal party alignment as midterm elections approach.
By Alina Campbell ·
Princess Moss has taken the helm of the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the United States with three million members. Her immediate goal is to change how the organization interacts with the political system. She wants teachers to define their own political stance rather than aligning automatically with a specific party. This shift comes as school budgets face pressure from inflation and a new federal education tax credit begins directing money to private schools in January.
Moss describes the current environment as a time of resistance leading to a renaissance. She argues that public education is under attack and that the foundation of democracy relies on it. To protect that foundation, she believes the union must become its own political authority. This approach departs from the group’s recent history of formal endorsements. In 2020, the NEA supported Joe Biden, and in 2024, it endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Her background informs this strategy. Moss grew up in rural Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the daughter of two school bus drivers. She credited her second-grade teacher, Lucy T. Lewis, for inspiring her career. Lewis told her she was smart in 1968, even after a classroom mistake. Moss later taught elementary music for more than 20 years and led the Virginia Education Association from 2004 to 2008.
During her time in Virginia, Moss worked with a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled general assembly. She focused on building coalitions around specific issues rather than party loyalty. She plans to apply that model at the national level as midterm elections draw near. Her advice to members is to focus on what their students need, not on whether an issue is a Democrat or Republican cause.
Michael Petrilli, president of the Fordham Institute, views this change as a major departure. He notes that the NEA has historically been a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. He has long argued that union positions often block teaching changes and maintain strict salary rules that complicate hiring. Despite these reservations, Petrilli says he is open to seeing how the new leadership navigates the upcoming year.
Many state-level races are leaning toward the Democratic Party, which has traditionally aligned with educators. Petrilli suggests this puts unions in a strong position to drive education policy. He asks what the union will push these governors to accomplish with that influence. Moss counters that the bottom line is working with anyone who puts public education first, regardless of party inclination.
Moss is set to serve a three-year term as president. She emphasizes that teachers are the experts and wants them at decision-making tables. Her strategy relies on community organizing and professional autonomy. The union will continue to monitor the impact of federal tax dollars entering private schools and the dismantling of the Department of Education by the current administration.
The NEA’s next major move will be its communication to members during the upcoming election cycle. Moss aims to keep the focus on student needs and local solutions. She believes this approach will help the union remain relevant and effective in a divided political climate. The group will look for allies in unexpected places to support public schools.
