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Person

Lily Eskelsen Garcia

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

President, National Education Association
Born:

May 1, 1955

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Lily Eskelsen Garcia is a teachers union activist and the former president of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest labor union in the United States. Eskelsen Garcia was considered a top contender for the Education Secretary in the administration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Eskelsen Garcia began her career as a lunch lady and then special education teaching assistant. After attaining an education degree, she worked as an elementary school teacher before being awarded Teacher of the Year in Utah. The award and other labor activism caught the attention of local labor unions, and Eskelsen Garcia was unexpectedly elected president of the Utah Education Association, the state-level chapter of the NEA. In 1996, Eskelsen Garcia got her first position at the NEA, and worked in a variety of roles until being elected its president in 2014. She served the maximum permitted two terms and stepped down from the position in September 2020.

Eskelsen Garcia is known as an opponent of standardized testing, charter schools, the No Child Left Behind Act, and “corporate” education models. She supports the Common Core State Standards initiative, increased education funding, and smaller class sizes.

Eskelsen Garcia was appointed to White House councils by Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1998. She endorsed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and personally campaigned for her in 2016, and endorsed President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic primaries. Eskelsen Garcia was a strong opponent of President Donald Trump and particularly Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whom she called “one of the most dangerous people” in President Trump’s cabinet. 3

In 2013, Eskelsen Garcia married Alberto Garcia, a Mexican artist whom Eskelsen Garcia had commissioned to create illustrations for a children’s book she was writing. 3

Education

In her mid-20s, Eskelsen Garcia used scholarships and government loans to attend the University of Utah with her husband, and she graduated with a degree in secondary education. Eskelsen Garcia was the first member of her family to attend college. She would later return to the University of Utah for a Master’s degree in instructional technology. 34

Early Career

While living in Colorado Springs after graduating from high school, Eskelsen Garcia got her first job as a lunch lady. A year later, she became an aide to a special-ed teacher. After moving to Utah, Eskelsen Garcia began attending college to get a degree to become a teacher. While at school, she and her husband worked as folk musicians. 3

In 1982, Eskelsen Garcia attained her first formal teaching job at Orchard Elementary School in West Valley, Utah. At Orchard, Eskelsen Garcia became an unofficial advocate for another teacher who was requesting time off work to take care of a sick child. Eskelsen Garcia attempted to negotiate with the administration to allow other teachers to transfer their sick days, but the administration blocked the plan. Eskelsen Garcia’s efforts caught the attention of the Granite Education Association, the local teachers union, which appointed Eskelsen Garcia to its negotiating team. 33

National Education Association

In 1990, Eskelsen Garcia was elected president of the Utah Education Association, a state-level affiliate of the NEA, through a write-in election. 3 Eskelsen Garcia also started and served as the first presidents of the Children at Risk Foundation and Utah State Retirement System. 3

In 1998, Eskelsen Garcia temporarily left the NEA to run for Congress. She returned shortly after losing the election. 3

In 2000, Eskelsen Garcia was appointed to President Bill Clinton’s White House Strategy Session on Improving Hispanic Education. 3

In 2008, Eskelsen Garcia was elected vice president of the NEA, and was reelected again in 2011. 313

Eskelsen Garcia supports the Common Core Standards Initiative, a curriculum restructuring generated under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education in 2010. Eskelsen Garcia has said that the original Common Core plan was heavily revised by teacher union input, and its current form closely resembles her own preferred teaching style. 3 Her defeat has been attributed to backfiring negative campaign ads. 31

We diversify our curriculum instruction to meet the personal individual needs of all of our students, the blind, the hearing impaired, the physically challenged, the gifted and talented, the chronically tarded [sic] and the medically annoying.

Eskelsen Garcia later apologized and clarified that she meant to say “chronically tardy” and refer to students who used their problems to “annoy” teachers. 31

References

  1. Walker, James. “Teachers’ Union Boss Says DeVos Is ‘One of the Most Dangerous People’ in Trump Cabinet.” Newsweek. June 2, 2020. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/teachers-union-boss-betsy-devos-most-dangerous-people-trump-cabinet-1508061.
  2. “Candidate Profile for Professional Quarterly.” CNN. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/UT/H/02/lily.eskelsen.html.
  3. Robinson, Doug. “Former lunch lady Lily Eskelsen Garcia goes to Washington to run for the NEA.” Desert News. February 17, 2014. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.deseret.com/2014/2/17/20535548/former-lunch-lady-lily-Eskelsen Garcia-goes-to-washington-to-run-for-the-nea#lily-eskelsen-national-education-association-vice-president.
  4. “North Salt Lake teacher elected head of NEA.”
  5. “NEA President Profile: Lily Eskelsen Eskelsen Garcia.” NEA. Accessed November 16, 2020. http://ftp.arizonaea.org/home/NEA-President-Profile.html.
  6. Tanner, Courtney. “Meet the former Utah teacher on the short list for education secretary under President-elect Biden.” Salt Lake Tribune. 11/10/ 2020. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2020/11/10/meet-former-utah-teacher/.
  7. Colvin, Richard Lee. “Teacher of the Year to Union President.” Education Next. April 8, 2014. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.educationnext.org/teacher-year-union-president/.
  8. “Vice President, National Education Association Lily Eskelsen Eskelsen Garcia.” NEA. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20130824213547/http://www.nea.org/home/1694.htm.
  9. “About Lily.” Lily’s Blackboard. Accessed November 17, 2020. http://lilysblackboard.org/about/.
  10. Balderston, Bill. “The NEA’s Circus.” Labor Notes. August 9, 2011. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://labornotes.org/blogs/2011/08/nea%E2%80%99s-circus.
  11. “Lily Eskelsen Eskelsen Garcia Receives U of U 2019 Distinguished Alumna Award.” University of Utah College of Education. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://education.utah.edu/alumni/profiles/lily-eskelsen.php.
  12. Safier, David. “Interview with Lily Eskelsen Garcia, President of the National Education Association.” Tuscon Weekly. November 3, 2014. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2014/11/03/interview-with-lily-eskelsen-garca-president-of-the-national-education-association.
  13. “NEA President Lily Eskelsen Eskelsen Garcia on Arming Teachers.” C-Span. August 28, 2018. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4745887/nea-president-lily-eskelsen-Eskelsen Garcia-arming-teachers.
  14. “Q&A: National Education Association President on Obama, Duncan.” NPR. September 3, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/09/03/345287406/q-a-national-education-association-president-on-obama-duncan.
  15. Simon, Stephanie; Emma, Caitlin. “Duncan rejects union call to resign.” Politico. July 7, 2014. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/arne-duncan-dismiss-resignation-call-national-education-association-108615.
  16. “Analysis: NEA Endorses Biden by Largest Margin in 24 Years – but With Fewer Delegates Voting – at Virtual Convention.” The 74 Million. August 14, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.the74million.org/article/analysis-nea-endorses-biden-by-largest-margin-in-24-years-but-with-fewer-delegates-voting-at-virtual-convention/.
  17. Walker, Tim. “’I’m With You,’ Hillary Clinton Tells NEA Delegates.” NEA. July 5, 2016. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/im-you-hillary-clinton-tells-nea-ra-delegates.
  18. “Who Are Contenders for Biden’s Cabinet?” New York Times. November 11, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/us/politics/biden-cabinet.html.
  19. “National Education Assn: Expenditures.” Open Secrets. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/national-education-assn/C00003251/expenditures/2016.
  20. Burr, Thomas. “Former Utah teacher who now leads the National Education Association says Trump is scaring children to tears.” Salt Lake Tribune. September 8, 2017. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2017/09/08/former-utah-teacher-who-now-leads-the-national-education-association-says-trump-is-scaring-children-to-tears/.
  21. Vyse, Graham. “The Battle Against Betsy DeVos Isn’t Over.” The New Republic. February 7, 2017. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://newrepublic.com/article/140464/battle-betsy-devos-isnt-over-senate-confirmation.
  22. Resmovits, Joy. “7 things you need to know about how Trump’s budget would affect schools in California and nationwide.” Los Angeles Times. May 23, 2017. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-trump-budget-education-20170523-htmlstory.html.
  23. Biden, Jill; Eskelsen Garcia, Lily; Weingarten, Randi. “Jill Biden and leading teachers: How to school your kids.” CNN. April 2, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/opinions/covid-19-how-to-school-kids-biden-garcia-weingarten/index.html.
  24. Budryk, Zack. “Teachers union president dares Trump to sit in classroom amid coronavirus ‘and breathe that air.’” The Hill. July 8, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020/. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/506368-teachers-union-president-dares-trump-to-sit-in-school-class-amid.
  25. Will, Madeline. “Endorsements Still Touchy for Teachers’ Unions in Presidential Election Season.” Education Week. March 23, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/03/25/endorsements-still-touchy-for-unions-in-election.html.
  26. Jotkoff, Eric. “NEA President: The Biden-Harris Ticket Is “Dream Team” For Public Education and Students.” NEA. August 11, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/nea-president-biden-harris-ticket-dream-team-public-education.
  27. Meckler, Laura; Douglas-Gabriel, Danielle; Strauss, Valerie. “With DeVos Out, Biden plans series of reversals on education.” Washington Post. November 9, 2020. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/biden-education-change/2020/11/08/b5b25c7a-21d5-11eb-a688-5298ad5d580a_story.html.
  28. “Meet the Contenders for Biden’s Cabinet.” Politico. November 7, 2020. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/07/joe-biden-cabinet-picks-possible-choices-433431.
  29. LaGrange, Kris. “A Union Leader for Education Secretary? Yes!.” UComm Blog. November 16, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://ucommblog.com/section/national-politics/union-leader-education-secretary-yes.
  30. Bernick Jr., Bob. “2nd District mudslinging could trigger a backlash.” Desert News. October 29, 2004. Accessed November 16, 2020. https://www.deseret.com/2004/10/29/19858517/2nd-district-mudslinging-could-trigger-a-backlash.
  31. Moser, Laura. “National Teachers Union Chief Says She Didn’t Mean to Call Kids “Chronically Tarded” and “Medically Annoying.”” Slate. December 2, 2015. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/12/nea-s-lily-eskelsen-Eskelsen Garcia-apologizes-for-calling-kids-chronically-traded-and-medically-annoying.html.
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