Fighting Forward: Reflections on the 2026 NEA Leadership Summit

What does it look like when 1,400 educators gather in one room with a shared mission, and a whole lot at stake?

That was the question I asked myself when I attended the 2026 National Education Association (NEA) Leadership Summit in Chicago, Illinois. It was held on the weekend of the St. Patrick's Day parade, when the Chicago River was dyed green. As the third most populous city in the United States, Chicago felt like the right backdrop for a gathering this significant, a place that carries its own deep history of labor organizing, community resilience, and urban complexity. The summit brought together educators from across the country: teachers, faculty, support staff, and union leaders who are members of one of America's most powerful labor organizations. And if there's one thing that stood out from the moment the conference opened, it's this: the people in that room are not waiting for things to get better on their own.

Historically, 2026, in which the USA is celebrating 250 years of independence and matters of democracy, but democracy is a continuing experiment rather than a done deal. The experience of minoritised groups, Native Americans and African Americans, for example, is still a work in progress in which the feeling is that equal rights under the law is not something that has fully materialized in their lives. The global context is that the United States spends more per student than other wealthy OECD nations. Still, it lags behind the country in math scores. Regarding teacher pay, the United States has lower teacher salaries than other OECD countries. Teachers in pre-primary to upper secondary schools in the United States earn less than 60% of the average salary of similarly educated workers, according to the OECD, suggesting that educators are valued less in this country than in peer nations. The conference is also being held in the background of a war in Iran that Israel and the USA initiated about two weeks ago, and the war in Ukraine, which started four years ago. Hence, the global context is somewhat uncertain and uneasy, and there should be a sense of urgency for a labor union focused on democracy and its members' economic success.

"We Are the NEA — We Get Sh*t Done"

NEA President Becky Pringle set the tone early in her opening address. She laid out clearly what the union has been doing: teaching, communicating, advocating, legislating, and organizing. One of the most pointed moments was her announcement that the NEA sued and won the federal government over the so-called "Dear Colleague" letter — a policy move that targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in schools.

She closed with a rallying cry that echoed through the room: "We are the NEA — we get sht done."* The crowd repeated it back, and in that moment, it didn't just feel like a slogan. It felt like a declaration of intent.

That spirit, of being proactive rather than reactive, of fighting forward rather than just fighting back, became one of the summit's defining themes.

The Real Forces Shaping Education Right Now

To understand why a conference like this matters, you have to understand what educators are up against. Because the classroom doesn't exist in a vacuum, it sits at the intersection of powerful economic, political, and social forces — and right now, all of those forces are in motion.

Economically, many teachers and educational support staff are still struggling to make ends meet on a single salary. Across the country, educators are working second and third jobs to survive. In Massachusetts, for example, school districts saw workers walk picket lines — and they won. Better pay, improved conditions, and a renewed sense of dignity for people who had been stretched far too thin for far too long. These are not abstract labor disputes. These are human beings trying to give their students everything they have, while barely keeping their own heads above water.

Politically, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Decisions made in Washington — and in statehouses across the country — directly shape what happens inside classrooms. In 2025, the federal government paused or rolled back several DEI policies, and the ripple effects have been felt at every level of the education system. Community colleges, for instance, have seen threats to TRIO programs — initiatives specifically designed to support first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income backgrounds. When those programs are gutted or defunded, real students lose real opportunities.

Socially and culturally, educators are navigating a climate of deepening division. Immigration enforcement actions have shaken school communities. Children are showing up to class not knowing whether their parents will be home when they return. Students who already feel marginalized are being pushed further to the edges. And yet, educators are still there, committed to seeing every student before them, regardless of their background or documentation status, as someone worthy of care, support, and a quality education.

Power, Organizing, and the Path Forward

One of the most energizing sessions at the summit, for me, was the Black Caucus, where somewhere between 200 and 300 African American educators filled a room with a kind of collective energy that's hard to describe unless you've felt it. These are leaders in their schools, districts, and states, and they are not backing down.

A powerful slide presentation broke down what it means to build organizational power. It identified three key dimensions: structural power (being represented in governance, policy, and programs), relational power (having a membership that acts as a unified force rather than a collection of disconnected individuals), and narrative power (the ability to shape the story — to define what education means, who it's for, and why it matters).

That last point is especially important right now. We are, in a very real sense, in a battle over narrative. What is education for? Who deserves access to it? What does a "successful" student look like? These aren't just philosophical questions — they have concrete policy consequences. And educators who can articulate clear, compelling answers are educators who can fight for their students most effectively.

NEA Vice President Princess Moss summed it up: organize, organize, organize.

Education and Democracy: You Can't Separate Them

Here's something worth sitting with: a functioning democracy requires an educated public. Not just people who can read and do math, but people who can think critically, engage with complex ideas, participate in civic life, and hold power accountable. Public education isn't just a service — it's the infrastructure of democracy itself.

That's why what's happening in education right now matters to everyone, not just parents and teachers. When we undermine public schools, defund support programs, silence certain histories, or make it harder for some students to belong, we're not just failing those kids; we're weakening the foundations of democratic participation for all of us.

The educators at this summit understand that. Many of the speakers — including the president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer of the NEA — shared that they were first-generation college graduates themselves. They know firsthand what it means to have a teacher who believed in them. They know what public education can do when it's properly resourced and genuinely committed to every student.

What This Means for All of Us

One of my the most important takeaways from the 2026 NEA Leadership Summit is this: empowering educators and empowering students are not separate goals. They are the same goal.

When a teacher doesn't have to work two jobs to pay rent, they can show up more fully for their students. When support staff are paid a living wage, they can give students the attention and care they need. When schools are protected from politically motivated interference, educators can focus on what they actually came to do — teach, nurture, and help young people grow into their full potential.

The summit also made clear that this work has to be intentional, especially for students who have historically been pushed to the margins. Not all students have been treated as equally deserving of investment, opportunity, or belonging. Any honest conversation about education has to reckon with that legacy and commit to something better.

The refrain from President Pringle's speech kept coming back to me throughout the conference: We get sht done.* It's blunt, it's a little irreverent, and it's exactly right. The NEA isn't a movement that's waiting for permission. It's a movement that's building power, telling its story, and fighting forward — for educators, for students, and for the kind of country we want to be.

by Colin A. R. Adams

Colin A. Adams is a sociologist, educator, and reflective traveler whose work explores the intersections of race, history, and human connection. He writes to illuminate the invisible threads that bind us across time and place.This post is a sociological reflection on the 2026 NEA Leadership Summit, exploring the economic, political, cultural, and organizational forces shaping public education in America today.