About me
Noel Candelaria is the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Education Association
(NEA), the nation’s largest labor union and professional organization
representing more than 3 million educators and public service professionals. A
special education teacher and former education support professional (ESP) from
El Paso, Texas, Noel is a passionate advocate for public education, educational
equity, and the rights of all students, educators, and working families.
Before serving as an NEA national officer, Noel served as President of the Texas
State Teachers Association (TSTA) and led at the local, state, and national levels
of the union. Appointed by President Joe Biden to the White House Advisory
Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic
Opportunity for Hispanics, Noel has been a leading voice on issues impacting
educators, immigrant communities, and students furthest from opportunity.
As the son of Mexican immigrant parents, a bilingual educator, and lifelong
unionist, Noel brings a deep commitment to racial, social, and economic justice,
grounded in both his lived experience and years in the classroom. He is widely
recognized for building partnerships that strengthen educator voice, advance
inclusion, and expand opportunity for every student and community.
