NEA President Princess Moss Pushes for Party-Neutral Union Strategy

Princess Moss took office as the president of the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the country with three million members, at a time when school budgets face inflation and federal support is contracting. The Trump administration is dismantling the Department of Education while a new federal tax credit for private schools takes effect in January.

Moss, who was elected to a three-year term, describes her agenda as moving from resistance to renaissance. She intends to position the union as its own political authority rather than aligning strictly with one party. "I want us to become our own political authority," Moss said. "Meaning that we're not aligning ourselves with a political party."

Moss grew up in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the daughter of two school bus drivers. She cited her second-grade teacher, Lucy T. Lewis, as a key inspiration. Moss said Lewis told her she was smart 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 before rising through state and national union ranks.

Her approach mirrors her earlier leadership of the Virginia Education Association from 2004 to 2008. At that time, she worked to build coalitions across a divided state government, which included a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled general assembly. She believes focusing on specific student needs creates unexpected allies.

Michael Petrilli, president of the Fordham Institute, a right-leaning think tank, noted that this strategy represents a major shift. He pointed out that the NEA endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Petrilli said he has long held reservations about union positions blocking teaching changes and enforcing strict salary rules, but he is watching closely as many state races lean toward Democrats.

Petrilli argued that this political alignment puts unions in a strong position to drive education policy. "I think this is the question: What are they going to do with that power? What are they going to push these Democratic governors to get done?" he said.

Moss told members to focus on what their students need rather than framing issues as partisan. "We're telling our members: 'Talk about your students. What do your students need?'" she said. She added that the union will work with anyone who prioritizes public education, regardless of political inclination.