Retired Alabama school teacher Anita Gibson has been elected to serve as the President of the retired teacher division of the National Education Association (NEA). Photo credit: NEA

There are many retired educators who go from the classrom to positions where they lead their colleagues in positions of influence. One of these is Anita Gibson, a retired elementary school teacher from Alabama who has just been elected the President of the retired teachers division of the National Education Association (NEA).

In this position, Anita continues to earn the respect and trust of her fellow educators. Her career features many notable assignments. For example, as an active classroom teacher in DeKalb, Alabama, she was selected to manage a new work force program for non-English speaking high school students. She also wrote a grant for a program to help Native American students better explore their heritage. “It all gave me a broader perceptive about how every single day might be the ay something important happens for a student,” she says. “Everyone deserves access to the opportunities.”

For many years, Anita has been active in teachers’ unions. She served as President of the local DeKalb County Education Association, where she worked to help fellow educators struggling with classroom management or oversized classrooms. Later she served as the President of the Alabama Education Association. After several terms on the Board of the National Education Association (NEA), she was elected the President of retired teachers division on Sept. 1, 2023.

Today, her daughter teaches in the same school that Anita did, and her grandchildren are enrolled in the school. “I’m concerned about the environment my daughter goes into every day,” Anita confesses. “I want her and all educators to feel safe and valued,” she continues. “I want my grandchildren and their classmates to be successful and productive citizens, and I want educators to be able to retire with dignity. I know we can make strides toward those goals,” she concludes.