Meet NEA’s New President

(Editor's note: A version of this story originally appeared in NEA Today.)

Every year at the NEA Representative Assembly, delegates come together to do the business of the nation’s largest labor union. But this year, in Denver, they were also tasked with electing a new leadership team, as NEA President Becky Pringle’s six-year tenure came to a close.

On July 5, they cast their ballots for Princess R. Moss as president, Noel Candelaria as vice president, and Robert Varela Rodriguez as secretary-treasurer. The team assumes office on September 1.

Shortly after assuming office, Moss will depart on a tour that will bring her to North Idaho on Sept. 4. IEA President Peggy Hoy, who formed NEA's Rural Caucus, said it’s a chance for the new president to see how the state’s unique politics affect educators. 

“The political reality for Idaho members is very different than it is in neighboring states like California, Washington and Oregon,” Hoy said. “I am thrilled President Moss is traveling here to better understand what’s happening on the ground, especially in some of our rural locals. Our members are no less dedicated than in other states, but our current political climate can create barriers for them. President Moss will see that no matter what is happening in the Statehouse, our members will always work to improve their profession and help students succeed.”

Idaho isn’t the only state affiliate facing ongoing political challenges. NEA's new leaders take the helm at a perilous time for public education, as the Trump administration has carried out a sweeping and destructive anti-public education agenda: Hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education, slashing funding, expanding access to federally supported voucher programs, and rolling back civil rights protections for our most vulnerable students.

Moss, who served two terms as NEA vice president and before that as secretary-treasurer, is a passionate advocate for public schools as well as a skilled and experienced organizer at the local, state, and national level.

The daughter of two school bus drivers, Moss joined the Virginia Education Association (VEA) as a student member while studying music education at the University of Mary Washington. She then spent 21 years teaching music in Louisa County Public Schools, a rural school district about 50 miles southwest of Richmond.

Moss first felt the power of collective action early on in her teaching career. She recalls her colleagues in the staff room talking about holding down second jobs and not being paid enough to make ends meet. Moss went to a meeting at her local, the Louisa County Education Association, and was asked to give a presentation to the school board about salary and benefits.

“It was amazing,” she recalls. “The public and educators—members and non-members—came out to support us, and the board members listened to us. We came with data about our pay and pay in surrounding areas. We told our story. And they approved salary increases.”

Moss quickly rose through the ranks of the local, eventually being elected VEA president, in 2005. She was elected to the NEA executive committee and then as NEA Secretary-Treasurer, in 2014.

“We are attacked because many politicians know that we have that power, and we can use it to make our schools stronger and our students’ and educators’ lives better,” she says.

As president, Moss hopes to transform NEA by helping create a more proactive union — one that continuously organizes and engages every member year-round.

“Many educators underestimate the power they hold,” Moss says. “Organizing can be a frightening word, but it’s really about members being able to talk about all the wonderful things they do for their students, about how they want to support each other and improve the profession. Every educator has a story.”