For the past three years, Becky Pringle has led the nation鈥檚 largest teachers鈥� union in tumultuous times鈥攖hroughout the pandemic and its aftermath, a wave of legislation restricting instruction on racism and LGBTQ+ issues, and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.
But as Pringle was re-elected to her second (and final) three-year term as National Education Association president with 94 percent of the vote, she doubled down on her commitment to social justice in education and protecting the teaching profession against what she sees as a dangerous series of political attacks.
鈥淲e are in the fight of our lives for public education in this country,鈥� Pringle told NEA delegates during the annual representative assembly here. 鈥淚n this moment where public education is under attack, we have to protect it.鈥�
The NEA had received some criticism from its members for convening in Florida, a state with restrictions on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. During the representative assembly, Pringle told delegates that she plans to work with NEA鈥檚 general counsel and executive director to draft guidance on where to hold future meetings, which will be considered by the NEA board of directors in September.
Pringle spoke to Education Week about her remaining goals as president, her concerns about how political and cultural debates are affecting teachers, and her thoughts on convening in red states in the future.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
How have your thoughts evolved on meeting in conservative states with restrictions on abortion or LGBTQ+ rights?
We鈥檙e in different times, there鈥檚 just no question about it. And when we adopted the bylaw that currently guides us as we determine where we鈥檙e going to go, we could never have dreamed that Roe [v. Wade] would be overturned. ... Certainly the attacks on trans students and the LGBTQ+ community; certainly the change in gun laws with open carry [policies]鈥擨 mean, just so many things that just were not something we considered.
We worked so hard when the laws started passing here in Florida, and we worked very closely with our affiliate here, and they were concerned that after the election and [Gov. Ron] DeSantis went in that people were gonna abandon them. They were very, very, very explicit: We need our union. So that鈥檚 why we came here.
But as these laws evolve鈥攁nd it鈥檚 not just Florida鈥攊t was time for us to take a look. Given the fact that we haven鈥檛 had a discussion based on all these wide-ranging laws impacting rights and threatening the people, and we know the rhetoric, I felt that it was my responsibility as president to have a conversation.
I鈥檓 not going to say we鈥檙e never going to a red state. Or if some of these onerous laws are passed [somewhere we鈥檝e scheduled an event], I鈥檓 not going say at this moment, 鈥淒efinitely, we鈥檙e not going there,鈥� because we can鈥檛 cede Florida or anywhere else. We can鈥檛 just say, 鈥淥h man, we鈥檙e not going there.鈥� We just have to think a little more deeply about what鈥檚 happened.
Delegates committed half a million dollars to fighting anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies. What will the implementation of such an expansive measure look like?
It is expansive. So I don鈥檛 know yet. We have to really dig in and see what we鈥檙e doing already that we have to deepen, what we have to add.
When this union began taking positions in support of our LGBTQ+ community, we didn鈥檛 have a clue where we鈥檇 be today. When marriage equality passed, it was just a celebration. And it was very personal for me. My daughter married the love of her life. And they had to get married in New York because she was marrying a woman, and New York was one of the few states where it was legal. That was fine because they lived there, but then they moved to Texas. And I鈥檓 like, 鈥淲hat are you doing? Why are you doing that? No, don鈥檛 do that!鈥�
I was so worried about them. And I was worried that if they wanted to start a family, what would that look like? Could they legally do stuff? It was too much, as a mother. I was frantic. When the Supreme Court [approved] marriage equality, it was just so celebratory and so personal, and our union fought so hard.
We鈥檙e like, 鈥淗ere we go. Here we don鈥檛 go.鈥� That鈥檚 how we鈥檙e feeling in this moment. It鈥檚 just like with racism. I鈥檒l never forget when President Obama got elected, and people said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e over racism now. Post-racism.鈥� What? It鈥檚 kind of like that, in that people were thinking we鈥檙e done with that. But then, just like with racism, when things started to be exposed, we realized that we had done really good work, but we weren鈥檛 finished.
We鈥檙e always on a journey of awareness. Even for we who are staunch advocates for LGBTQ rights, there鈥檚 still more you have to learn. I mean, [at the representative assembly this week], I stood at that microphone and misgendered somebody鈥攊nto the microphone. That was painful for me. But it also is an opportunity for me to model: We鈥檙e going to make mistakes. Acknowledge mistakes, and know that you still have to learn about our students and our colleagues.
It鈥檚 a lot of work we鈥檙e taking on. I have to stay out of the debate when it鈥檚 happening, but for me, it鈥檚 work we need to do.
I鈥檝e talked to LGBTQ+ teachers and teachers of color across the country who have said that they are thinking about leaving the profession. What do you say to those educators?
Oh my goodness. I held a [virtual] town hall with some of the members here in Florida, and an aspiring educator was on the call. I don鈥檛 usually have a loss for words, but I was stumped by her question. She asked me, 鈥淏ecky, I鈥檓 going to graduate with my degree in education. What would you say to me to convince me that I should stay and teach in Florida?鈥�
I don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 know if I could stay and teach here. I don鈥檛 know if I could do it. I mean, you have teachers who look like me who are being told that they have to teach slavery as forced migration. Are you kidding me right now? I was like, [whispers] 鈥淕et out.鈥�
But of course I didn鈥檛 say that. I said, 鈥淵ou have to tap into your why. You have to remember why. And then you have to remember there are students here who need you, and you now are a trained leader in your union. They need that kind of strong advocate that not only is focused on your professional practice, but is taking a professional responsibility to advocate for your students.鈥�
I鈥檓 not gonna deny what鈥檚 happened here. I was talking to another teacher who鈥檚 like, 鈥淚鈥檓 done, I鈥檓 not doing this. I can鈥檛 teach like this. And I鈥檓 afraid every day if they鈥檙e take my license or take my job. I鈥檓 not doing it.鈥�
And they鈥檙e not paid enough to do it. Why would you take that? Why would you show up to the school board meeting and be harassed and all of the things? There鈥檚 no question it has had an impact on the educator shortage problem in this country, particularly in this state.
But as a teacher myself and as an advocate, I鈥檓 going to always try to convince them this is when you鈥檙e needed the most. And if you become a teacher鈥擨 say this all the time鈥攜ou鈥檒l get to do it. You鈥檒l get to be in this moment standing up, in a way that you would not in any other profession, every single day because of what you do for kids.
You announced that the NEA will be convening a task force to discuss the role of AI in education. What are your thoughts about how AI could change the teaching profession?
When we had our International Summit for the Teaching Profession [this spring], it was fascinating to hear where other countries are, particularly countries like Singapore. They really lean into technology. [And] as I was traveling around the country, I was hearing our teachers talk about how they鈥檝e been using it. It was fascinating.
[This task force is] not for the purpose of, 鈥淥h, it鈥檚 terrible, and we鈥檙e afraid.鈥� But there are cautions for sure. What do we want to say about that? What do we know about it? The reality is it鈥檚 here, and it鈥檚 not going anywhere.
I felt that as president we needed to dig into this. I really wanted to hear from our members how they were experiencing it. As I talk with partners here in the United States and around the world, I wanted to show up in a place where I鈥檝e heard from my members about what they鈥檙e thinking about, what they鈥檙e actually doing, what they鈥檙e creating themselves.
I鈥檓 gonna bring together groups of people鈥攆rom external folks, from technology [sectors], from around the world who are ahead of us in the U.S., and other labor unions鈥攁nd have a conversation about where we should be.
What do you hope to accomplish in your final three years as NEA president?
When I became president three years ago, I articulated a bold and long term vision that we would reclaim public education as a common good and a foundation of democracy. And that we would transform into a racially and socially just and equitable system that prepares every student. Everything I do, every decision I make, every allocation of funds, all of it is steeped in that. For me that looks like all students, all schools, and all educators are succeeding鈥攁nd everybody knows it.
One of the things I鈥檓 tackling is changing the current assessment system and the schedule [for testing]. I put together a task force to put together principles for authentic assessment. It鈥檚 not tied to the standardized assessments we now have, but that are able to show what [students] know and are able to do in multiple ways that actually will identify what their strengths and weaknesses are, and to supply teachers with the information they need to change their practice.
And then every school [should be] a community school. I don鈥檛 know that I鈥檒l get that done in three years. But [we] have already increased numbers during my tenure, from electing the right president that put in place the people in his cabinet that support us. (The U.S. Department of Education has committed millions to funding for community schools. Some NEA affiliates have also bargained for a commitment to community schools.)
I鈥檓 a big opponent of anyone talking about what sounds like a silver bullet solution to a complex problem. But for me, community schools get at just about all of it. We have the evidence now that it increases retention. You have more diverse staff. The students are more joyous, and they鈥檙e more empowered. There鈥檚 a direct tie to their learning. They鈥檙e feeding the kids if they鈥檙e hungry, they鈥檙e getting dental care if that鈥檚 what they need, they鈥檙e getting eyeglasses if they can鈥檛 see. It鈥檚 everyone understanding it鈥檚 their shared responsibility.
I鈥檝e set a goal of 25,000 community schools. (One analysis there are about 10,000 community schools in the United States.) We鈥檒l see how close we get. But I feel like we鈥檝e got to have a stretch goal.
