The nation’s largest teachers union raised dues, elected a leader with ties to a Democratic Socialists of America convention and approved new political and social-issue resolutions during its 2026 gathering.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The National Education Association elected new leadership, approved resolutions addressing immigration enforcement and gender ideology, and increased member dues during its 2026 Representative Assembly in Denver.
Approximately 6,000 delegates attended the union’s annual gathering from July 3 through July 7, according to documents obtained by Defending Education.
The NEA, which represents nearly 3 million members, raised annual dues by $10 and approved measures directing the union to publish materials critical of cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Delegates also approved the creation of resources discussing what the union described as the harms of conversion therapy for gay, lesbian and transgender people.
Defending Education senior communications director Erika Sanzi accused the union of placing political advocacy ahead of its professional responsibilities to educators.
“The NEA is asking teachers to pay higher dues so it can spend more money influencing elections, training political candidates, and organizing against ICE and Israel,” Sanzi told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “That’s not a professional association focused on supporting its members—it’s a political advocacy organization whose leadership doesn’t reflect, let alone represent, the teachers it pretends to serve.”
Delegates elected United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz to the NEA Executive Committee, according to documents obtained by Defending Education.
Myart-Cruz was a keynote speaker at the Democratic Socialists of America’s 2019 National Convention.
The assembly also selected former NEA Vice President Princess Moss as the union’s next president, according to an NEA announcement.
“Together, we will continue fighting for the resources, respect, and professional voice educators deserve because when we invest in public education, we invest in the future of every student,” Moss said in the release.
“I look forward to building on our union’s proud legacy and working alongside our members to ensure every student, in every ZIP code, has access to a high-quality public education.”
Moss has frequently posted about her pastor, the Rev. Howard-John Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church.
During a sermon delivered after Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025, Wesley called Kirk evil and a “weapon of the enemy” and said he could not honor “a man who was an unapologetic racist.”
Among the resolutions approved by delegates was a directive for the NEA to publish materials discussing the “destructive impact” of agreements between local police agencies and ICE.
Another measure directed the organization to publish resources “outlining the harms of conversion therapy on queer individuals.”
An NEA spokesperson said the assembly also focused on school staffing, student instruction and vocational education.
“The Representative Assembly is an opportunity for educators to come together and chart a course toward stronger public schools so every student can reach their full potential,” the spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“This year, members voted to support efforts to ensure every school has at least one full-time, registered nurse; increase personnel to allow for more hands-on instruction for students; and bolster training and support for new Career and Technical Education teachers – all with the goal of improving student outcomes and supporting the educators who prepare our students for a brighter future.”
Workshops offered during the assembly included “Championing Every Student by Engaging Race, Class, and Community Power,” “Everyone Belongs Here: Tools for Supporting LGBTQ+ Students, Educators, Parents, and Communities,” and “Hope Floats!: Organizing for Power to Anchor Racial and Social Justice in the Floods of Authoritarianism.”
NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson told delegates that the union had prevailed in 83% of the ballot-measure contests in which it participated.
The NEA has continued expanding its political activities, including efforts to elect members to public office and influence ballot campaigns, according to a separate report on the union’s political operations.
“While this White House spends its time and our taxpayer dollars building golden ballrooms and banning books, NEA continues to stand in our values and fight back,” Anderson said.
She praised outgoing NEA President Becky Pringle’s opposition to the Department of Education’s policies restricting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“We don’t need to just be at the table. We need to own the table,” Anderson said.
She added that more than 4,000 NEA members had been elected to political offices during the previous four years.
The convention’s resolutions, workshops and leadership selections underscore the union’s continued involvement in issues extending beyond classroom pay, staffing and working conditions.
Supporters say those activities reflect the NEA’s responsibility to advocate for students, educators and public schools. Critics argue the union is increasingly functioning as a political organization whose priorities may not represent the full range of views held by its members.
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