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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2000

News Release

NEA Names John Wilson New Executive Director

NEA's Chase cites Wilson's 'vision for the union, passion for public education'

Washington, D.C. -- The National Education Association today announced the selection of its new executive director, John I. Wilson. Wilson currently serves as executive director of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), which represents 72,000 active and retired school employees and is the state affiliate of the NEA.

Brandishing an impressive record of accomplishments as an association leader, Wilson is particularly known for championing efforts to improve the quality of teaching, enhancing the teaching profession and strengthening public schools in North Carolina. North Carolina is nationally known for its preeminence in education reform.

"John Wilson represents the best and brightest of the emerging new leadership of the National Education Association," said NEA President Bob Chase. "Today, NEA is energized around its commitment to make every public school a quality school. John's sensitivity to children's needs, his skill at delivering programs that help teachers and education support personnel, his insight into what makes a classroom effective, and his demonstrated ability to reach out and work with the community are essential gifts that will guide and support NEA in reaching its goals. John has worked at every level of our association and knows its strengths. He has a track record of making organizations perform. He is a tremendous coalition builder. He respects and values staff. Most importantly, he has great vision for the important role the union plays and is committed to serving our more than 2.5 million members. This is a man with a vision for the union and a passion for public education."

As executive director of the North Carolina Association of Educators, Wilson's focus has been on improving the quality of teaching. With Wilson at the helm, NCAE has made remarkable progress in the area of teacher training, professional development, and compensation. His impressive track record includes the development of new support systems for teacher candidates for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, resulting in more national Board-certified teachers and candidates from North Carolina than any other state. Wilson also led NCAE's efforts to set up programs to support beginning teachers. In addition, Wilson helped establish the North Carolina Teacher Academy, which is now funded by the legislature and provides high quality professional development for teachers in summer institutes. He is credited with leading the effort to dramatically increase teacher salaries in the state.

Wilson's leadership has included reaching into high schools to encourage young people to become teachers. Wilson pushed for the North Carolina Teacher Cadet program, a high school curriculum for students interested in teaching. This program is now housed in the NCAE Foundation and is funded by the legislature.

Among his proudest accomplishments is his work to help create the Covenant for North Carolina's Children, a coalition of 90 organizations devoted to the needs of children.

Prior to his appointment as NCAE executive director, Wilson was the chief lobbyist for NCAE and was continuously rated by the NC Center for Public Policy as one of the most influential lobbyists in Raleigh.

Before joining the NCAE staff, he spent 20 years in the Wake County School System as a teacher of special students.

Wilson became an NEA member as a college student at Western Carolina University where he served as the president of the Student North Carolina Association of Educators from 1969-70. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Western Carolina University in 1970 and a master's degree from the University of North Carolina the following year.

Throughout his long teaching career, Wilson was an active Association member and leader. He served as president of the Raleigh Association of Classroom Teachers, the North Carolina Classroom Teachers Association, the Wake County Association of Classroom Teachers, and in 1981, he was elected as president of the North Carolina Association of Educators. He also served on the NEA Board of Directors for five years and on the NEA Executive Committee from 1983-1989. In 1992, Wilson accepted a staff position with NCAE and became its manager of government relations. In 1995, he was named to the position of NCAE executive director.

"The opportunity to continue and expand the work of helping NEA members create even better public schools is the chance of a lifetime," said Wilson. "I know what extraordinary care and dedication teachers and support staff have. I know that well crafted support for them and our public schools can help them open whole new worlds for children. I know what power there can be in harnessing the energy of teachers, education support personnel, parents and the community toward a common purpose. I know there is important new research and information to guide our paths. Now more than ever, in this blessed economy, we must seize the moment. We must give new respect and support to the teaching profession. We have to get smart and use programs that work in our public schools. And we must renew our dream for every child to go to a quality public school. I look forward to working to make NEA an even more powerful voice for children and public education."

Wilson's selection as executive director follows an extensive nationwide search. An NEA search committee established criteria and took several months to review a wide array of outstanding candidates. The committee took special steps to ensure that NEA goals and organizational priorities were addressed throughout the selection process.

"The NEA's search process was exceptionally thorough," said outgoing executive director Don Cameron. "This association can be proud of the care taken to reflect the goals and interests of our members, our leaders, and our staff. John is an outstanding leader and promises to be a dynamic, visionary executive director."

Wilson is a voracious reader and self-proclaimed "political junkie." He is dedicated to making the whole community - not just public schools - a good place for children. A true North Carolinian, Wilson is an avid Tarheel fan.

Wilson will begin his new position November 1, 2000. He will be succeeding Cameron, who is retiring after having served as NEA executive director since 1983.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.