PORTLAND, Ore. — Dr. Tia T. Mills is no ordinary educator. A Baton Rouge special education teacher with nearly 20 years in the classroom, Mills has become one of Louisiana’s most influential voices in public education—and now, she is taking that leadership to the national stage.
Elected to the Executive Committee of the National Education Association at its 2025 Representative Assembly, Mills joins the top decision-making body of the nation’s largest educators’ union. Her election reflects her unmatched ability to mobilize communities, fight for equity, and advocate for students and teachers alike.
Mills has spent her career breaking barriers and building bridges. As president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, she has led campaigns to secure fair funding, elevate teacher voices, and confront systemic inequities in schools. Her work has earned national recognition, including the NAACP’s Benjamin Hooks Keeper of the Flame Award, the NEA Foundation’s Horace Mann Award, and Southern University’s “40 Under 40” honor…