Published: January 2026
First Appeared In NEA Today, January 2026
Dear NEA members,
I am honored to serve as your president.
United, we will reclaim public education as a common good and transform it into a racially and socially just system that actually prepares every student—not one, not some, but every single student—to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. Onward!
Becky Pringle
NEA President
Quote by—Becky, speaking at a meeting with NEA Higher Ed state leaders
"We refuse to allow our students, our researchers, our higher education faculty to live in fear of their own government. We will not allow their brilliance to be self-censored before it has a chance to shine. We will not allow the Trump administration to erase academic freedom or steal our future.”
——Becky, speaking at a meeting with NEA Higher Ed state leaders
Face to Face with NEA members
Some of my proudest moments with NEA members happened this fall. I met Iowa educators who are making sure children don’t go hungry in the face of historic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And at the No Kings rally in Atlanta, I joined educators in protesting the injustices carried out by the Trump administration.
We are taking our place as leaders in this movement by educating and organizing and mobilizing … and electing! That leadership culminated in MAJOR wins in the November election. American voters were very clear. We care about our kids. We care about our communities. We care about our country!
JOIN ME
3 Things To Do For Yourself and Your Union
Honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
On January 19, join me in reflecting on the contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. and how his legacy impacts our schools and communities today.
Save federal programs for students.
Every state will feel the impact of cuts to federal funding for public education. See how the cuts will affect students in your state and learn how you can speak out against the cuts.
Get ready for NEA’s Read Across America!
Students all over the country will come together for a love of books and reading during Read Across America Day, on March 2. Then keep it going all year long with our calendar of 12 months of recommended titles, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion.
In the News: Federal Cuts to Special Education
“The alarm we are sounding is that it isn’t just bureaucratic neglect, it’s a deliberate rollback to a darker time when Americans with disabilities were denied access, opportunity, and dignity before IDEA [Individuals With Disabilities Education Act].”
—Becky, Maine Public Radio, October 17, 2025
What I’m Watching:The American Revolution
By Ken Burns
In his editing room, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has a neon sign that says, “It’s complicated.” The sign is there to remind him to embrace complex truths—and that’s exactly what his documentary on the American Revolution asks of viewers. We know the Revolution was devastating. The film shows us just how destructive and grisly it was, and how the Revolution was steeped in failures, contradictions, and hypocrisy. But I was also reminded that it was ultimately about possibility and progress toward a “more perfect union.” The series includes firsthand accounts of people too often left out of the usual histories of the war: Native Americans, women, and Black people, both free and enslaved. While watching, I felt a lot of different things—anger and frustration, but also pride and hope. The nation was even more divided than it is now, and the series reminds me that our nation is a work in progress. We are still becoming a more perfect union. And that requires active participation and civil discourse, now more than ever.
Learn More
Find out how NEA is working every day for and with educators, students, and public schools in NEA in Action.
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Great public schools for every student
The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest
professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of
public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of
education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has
affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities
across the United States.