For CEA-member delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly (RA), held this year in Denver, Colorado, the holiday weekend was a special one with elections for NEA leadership positions, speeches from educators and NEA leaders, and consideration of New Business Items.
To the disappointment of Connecticut’s 125 delegates and all CEA members, CEA President Kate Dias fell in a close race for NEA president to current NEA Vice President Princess Moss, who will begin her term as president on September 1. With only 50.3% of the vote, Moss narrowly avoided a run-off with Dias. The close vote is atypical of NEA elections in which leaders already holding elected office often advance easily to further elected positions.
“Running for NEA president was an amazing experience, and I am profoundly grateful to everyone who supported my campaign, believed in me, and gave me the courage to take this chance,” Dias says. “I look forward to continuing to build on the partnerships I’ve formed with CEA members, members of congress, legislators, the governor, and others to improve teaching and learning in Connecticut.”
“Kate is a phenomenal, transformational leader and strong union advocate,” says CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey. “Her leadership at CEA has been instrumental to advancing our profession and, while I’m disappointed that she won’t be taking her vision to the national stage this fall, I’m excited for all that she will accomplish for Connecticut teachers in her final year as CEA president.”
For the past five years, Dias has tackled numerous issues where the odds were stacked against her. She fought diligently to repeal WEP/GPO—antiquated federal laws that penalized educators—putting millions of Social Security dollars back into the pockets of retired educators. She has ensured that Connecticut educators have a fair termination process, protected payroll deduction in state statute, removed ratings from teacher evaluations, ensured legislation providing guaranteed 30-minute duty-free lunch, and eliminated a loophole that denied teachers full workers’ compensation when injured by a student on the job.
“Kate has been a champion for public schools, teachers, support personnel, students, and families as CEA president,” says Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. “Her work to increase funding for special education, ensure competitive salaries for educators, and fight for tax credits for out-of-pocket teacher expenses with the RAISE act is breathing new hope into the profession. She has laid the groundwork for teacher activism across the country, working locally to oppose the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and collaborating with the Connecticut Attorney General to protect our state from losing millions of dollars in federal funding.”
“Kate brings the rare combination of classroom experience, policy knowledge, and unwavering commitment to public education that this moment demands,” says former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “She understands the challenges facing educators because she has lived them, and she has demonstrated the ability to unite people around solutions the strengthen our schools and support students.”
“When others see impossible obstacles, Kate builds the broad coalition needed to find a path forward. She knows that our greatest victories come from collaborative leadership—uniting diverse voices to grow member solidarity and build the collective power of our union,” says 2011 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, State Board of Education member, and Stratford physics teacher Kristen Record. “I know Kate will continue her fierce advocacy, organizing mindset, and unstoppable drive to make further improvements for students and educators alike.”
Also elected by the nearly 7,000 NEA RA delegates were Noel Candelaria, a high school special education teacher from El Paso, Texas, as vice president, and Robert Valera Rodriguez, a special education teacher in California’s San Bernardino City Unified School District, as secretary-treasurer.
CEA and NEA both have three-year terms for officers and limits of two terms for each elected leadership position.
Leading and fighting for education
Speeches from a number of education leaders, including the National Teacher of the Year and the NEA Executive Director, inspired delegates to continue their advocacy for their students and the profession.
“Education must remain a powerful promise that students can see themselves in and the essential work of NEA members plays a key role in making sure all students are seen and valued,” Pennsylvania social studies teacher and 2026 National Teacher of the Year Leon Smith told delegates. Smith’s leadership in his district of Haverford was instrumental in the creation of the first African American History course in the district, first as an elective then as an AP class.
Smith’s work also extends to championing the recruitment and retention of teachers, especially educators of color. For most of his career at Haverford, Smith was the only Black teacher in his building.
“Being the only Black teacher motivated me to deepen my learning on the state of the teaching profession and advocate for greater educator diversity at both the state and federal levels,” Smith said. “That passion has led me to leadership roles while still in the classroom.”
In her address to delegates at the NEA RA, NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson said NEA members fight for what is right, no matter the cost.
She urged delegates to engage in skill-building during the RA to counter disinformation, combat authoritarianism, and build pro-public education, pro-worker majorities across the political spectrum—noting that over 4,000 NEA members have run for and won office. Ninety million Americans did not vote in 2024, Anderson said, but NEA members can change that as “the most powerful messengers in every precinct in America.”
NEA awarded its highest honor, the Friend of Education Award, posthumously to Illinois Education Association President Albert J. “Al” Llorens. Llorens, who died last September at age 73, was honored for his lifelong commitment to public education in Illinois, accomplishments as an IEA leader, and contributions to NEA members across the nation.
The NEA RA will conclude tomorrow, July 7, after the consideration of amendments to NEA’s resolutions and votes on New Business Items introduced by delegates.
