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National Education Association
| National Education Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(5) |
| Top official: | Becky Pringle, President |
| Year founded: | 1857 |
| Website: | Official website |
The National Education Association (NEA) is a 501(c)(5) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. The organization is a professional association representing teachers that describes itself as "the voice of education professionals. Our work is fundamental to the nation, and we accept the profound trust placed in us."[1]
Background
A group of ten state education associations founded the organization as the National Teachers Association (NTA) in 1857. The organization adopted its current name in 1870. It merged with the majority-Black American Teachers Organization in 1964. During the 1980s, it expanded its membership to also include education support professionals.[2]
As of September 2025, the organization had the following mission statement:[1]
| “ |
Our mission is to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world.[3] |
” |
Leadership
As of September 2025, the following individuals held senior leadership roles at the National Education Association:[4]
- Becky Pringle, president
- Princess R. Moss, vice president
- Noel Candelaria, secretary-treasurer
- Kim Anderson, executive director
- Bill Farmer, executive committee
- Mark Jewell, executive committee
- Gladys Fátima Márquez, executive committee
- Ron Duff Martin, executive committee
- Shannon McCann, executive committee
- Dr. Tia T. Mills, executive committee
Work and activities
Electoral activities and influence
2016 elections
In October 2015, NEA President Lily Eskelsen García announced that the NEA would endorse 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. García stated the following:[5]
| “ |
The National Education Association proudly supports Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Clinton is a strong leader who will do what is best for America’s students. For more than four decades, Clinton has fought to make sure all children have a fair opportunity to succeed regardless of their ZIP code. Clinton will continue to advocate on behalf of students, educators and working families because she understands the road to a stronger U.S. economy starts in America’s public schools.[3] |
” |
2014 elections
As of November 2013, NEA has spent $1,646,370 in the 2014 election cycle: $310,370 went to Democratic candidates, $55,500 to Republicans and the remaining $1,280,000 was soft money given to political organizations.[6]
2012 elections
NEA spent $14,899,964 in the 2012 election cycle: $2,260,847 on Democratic candidates, $177,707 on Republicans, and $12,486,260 as soft money given to political organizations.[6]
2012 expenditures
The following table displays the top 10 candidates who received the most money from NEA.[7]
| Top 10 largest National Education Association expenditures in 2012[6] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | Desired Result | ||
| Barack Obama |  |
N/A | President | $61,577 |  | ||
| Kathleen Hochul | |
NY | House | $19,000 |  | ||
| Tammy Baldwin | |
WI | House | $17,080 | | ||
| Derek Kilmer | |
WA | House | $16,000 | | ||
| Christopher Donovan | |
CT | House | $15,000 | | ||
| Elizabeth Esty | |
CT | House | $15,000 | | ||
| Pete Gallego | |
TX | House | $15,000 | | ||
| Chris Murphy | |
CT | House | $15,000 | | ||
| Elizabeth Warren | |
MA | Senate | $14,550 | | ||
| Ron Barber | |
AZ | House | $14,250 | | ||
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Affiliations
As of September 2025, the following organizations were affiliated with the National Education Association:[8]
- Alabama Education Association
- NEA-Alaska
- Arizona Education Association
- Arkansas Education Association
- California Teachers Association
- Colorado Education Association
- Connecticut Education Association
- Delaware State Education Association
- Federal Education Association
- Florida Education Association
- Georgia Association of Educators
- Hawaii State Teachers Association
- Idaho Education Association
- Illinois Education Association
- Indiana State Teachers Association
- Iowa State Education Association
- Kansas National Education Association
- Kentucky Education Association
- Louisiana Association of Educators
- Maine Education Association
- Maryland State Education Association
- Massachusetts Teachers Association
- Michigan Education Association
- Education Minnesota
- Mississippi Association of Educators
- Missouri NEA
- Montana Federation of Public Employees
- Nebraska State Education Association
- Nevada State Education Association
- NEA-New Hampshire
- New Jersey Education Association
- NEA-New Mexico
- New York State United Teachers
- North Carolina Association of Educators
- North Dakota United
- Ohio Education Association
- Oklahoma Education Association
- Oregon Education Association
- Pennsylvania State Education Association
- NEA Rhode Island
- The South Carolina Education Association
- South Dakota Education Association
- Tennessee Education Association
- Texas State Teachers Association
- Utah Education Association
- Vermont-NEA
- Virginia Education Association
- Washington Education Association
- Education West Virginia
- Wisconsin Education Association Council
- Wyoming Education Association
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the National Education Association's revenues and expenses from 2004 to 2024. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $294.5 million | $295.3 million |
| 2005 | $304.1 million | $299.4 million |
| 2006 | $322.1 million | $314.5 million |
| 2007 | $341.0 million | $328.8 million |
| 2008 | $357.4 million | $336.7 million |
| 2009 | $366.9 million | $366.6 million |
| 2010 | $376.6 million | $360.4 million |
| 2011 | $376.5 million | $373.2 million |
| 2012 | $380.7 million | $356.2 million |
| 2013 | $384.6 million | $341.7 million |
| 2014 | $384.2 million | $343.0 million |
| 2015 | $370.6 million | $343.4 million |
| 2016 | $371.6 million | $373.5 million |
| 2017 | $374.4 million | $361.0 million |
| 2018 | $383.8 million | $362.8 million |
| 2019 | $377.1 million | $356.6 million |
| 2020 | $396.5 million | $377.1 million |
| 2021 | $396.8 million | $380.7 million |
| 2022 | $378.2 million | $389.2 million |
| 2023 | $388.4 million | $399.4 million |
| 2024 | $402.8 million | $411.1 million |
Noteworthy events
Call for Education Secretary Arne Duncan's resignation
A July 4, 2014 vote by members of the National Education Association called for Education Department Secretary Arne Duncan's resignation. A majority of the 9,000 delegates attending the convention in Denver, Colorado made the vote because "the Department's failed education agenda focused on more high-stakes testing, grading and pitting public school students against each other based on test scores." The vote originated from the California Teachers Association after Duncan commented on the court case Vergara v. California, which dealt a blow to tenure rules in the state. Motions calling for Duncan's resignation have been raised at each of the NEA's annual meetings since 2010, but none had received the majority vote for passage.[9] Then-NEA former President Dennis Van Roekel defended the vote, claiming the union would continue to push the administration to put forward policies "that are influenced by those who know best— educators working in our classrooms and in our schools — rather than profiteers." When asked to for Duncan's comments on the vote, a department spokesperson stated, "Secretary Duncan looks forward to continuing to work with NEA and its new leadership."[10]
The American Federation of Teachers approved a motion on July 13, 2014, urging Duncan's resignation if he did not make improvements.[11]
See also
External links
- National Education Association official website
- National Education Association on Facebook
- National Education Association on Bluesky
- National Education Association on Instagram
- National Education Association on Threads
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Education Association, "Our Mission, Vision, & Values," accessed September 26, 2025
- ↑ National Education Association, "The History of NEA," accessed September 26, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Education Association, "Our Leaders," accessed September 26, 2025
- ↑ NEA, "NEA President: Clinton is a strong leader who will do what is best for America’s students," October 3, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 OpenSecrets, "National Education Assn Totals," accessed November 26, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "National Education Assn, Recipients," accessed November 26, 2013
- ↑ National Education Association, "NEA Affiliates," accessed September 26, 2025
- ↑ Education Week, "NEA Calls for Secretary Duncan's Resignation," July 4, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Arne Duncan dismisses union call for resignation," July 7, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Another teachers union ding for Arne Duncan," July 13, 2014
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