Maria Neira, an elementary school bilingual teacher who rose through the ranks of union leadership to become a nationally recognized expert on educational issues, is a vice president of New York State United Teachers, representing more than 600,000 members.

Neira oversees the statewide union's initiatives involving educational policy matters. She is NYSUT's front-line advocate to the Board of Regents and the State Education Department.

An American Federation of Teachers vice president, Neira serves on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She also serves as a vice president on the New York State AFL-CIO Executive Council, the Board of Directors of the AFL-CIO's Workforce Development Institute and the Coalition for Labor Union Women. She is a member of the New York State United Way Board of Directors and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials Education Fund. She oversees NYSUT's fund-raising activities as a statewide flagship sponsor for American Cancer Society programs, including the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer annual walks. She also leads the union's Local Action Project and Local and Retiree Council Presidents Conference.

Neira has received many awards for her advocacy and leadership, including the Hispanic Outreach Service Award, and others from the United Federation of Teachers Hispanic Affairs Committee and Somos El Futuro, an annual state legislative conference. Neira also received the 2005 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.

Neira previously served as assistant to the president on education issues for the UFT, the NYSUT affiliate in New York City public schools, where she helped develop strategic plans for education reform. She also served as director of the UFT's Special Educator Support Program.

Neira began her teaching career in New York City in 1977 and later served as a fourth-grade bilingual teacher at the Bilingual Bicultural Mini-school in Manhattan, where she developed and implemented a schoolwide, hands-on science program for children in grades K-6.

April 2008