AFSA Leaders came together in Washington, D.C. for a meeting of AFSA’s General Executive Board focused on strengthening the union, expanding its reach and advancing issues affecting school leaders, their schools and students.
The September 18–20 meeting brought the elected officers and General Vice Presidents from across the country for discussions that ranged from organizing and local union engagement to school safety, artificial intelligence, school leader wellness, human rights and preparations for AFSA’s 2028 convention.
A major focus of the weekend was building AFSA’s organizing capacity and reaching school leaders who do not currently have union representation.
The board heard from Christian Sweeney, AFL-CIO Deputy Organizing Director, about organizing and opportunities to expand union representation to more school districts. That conversation led directly into a broader discussion about strengthening relationships with existing local unions, ensuring members are taking full advantage of AFSA’s services, resources and benefits, and creating ongoing conversations between AFSA’s national leadership and its affiliates to better understand and respond to their needs.
The message throughout the discussion was that growing AFSA is about more than increasing membership. It is about making sure school leaders have a collective voice at work and building stronger local unions capable of representing their members effectively.
Board members also spent significant time on the day-to-day work of strengthening the union. They reviewed AFSA’s recent leadership training, discussed resources for locals, considered ways to improve communication and engagement with affiliates, and began planning for the 2028 AFSA Triennial Constitutional Convention, including workshops, speakers, budgeting assistance for locals and ways to increase participation.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to look beyond traditional labor issues and examine how decisions made inside schools can affect students.
Maralyn O’Brien, chief strategy officer at the Chef Ann Foundation, joined the board for a discussion on “Why Cooking in Schools Matters.” The discussion centered on a simple principle: We all want kids to feel and do their best in school, and what students eat plays an important role in making that possible. Yet too many children still do not have access to the nutritious meals they need to learn, grow and succeed. The conversation reinforced the important role school leaders play not only in instruction, but in creating the positive learning environments and overall conditions that allow children to thrive.
GEB committees also went to work developing strategies to implement resolutions adopted by AFSA delegates at the 2025 convention. Committees addressed building worker power and organizing, school leader wellness, threats against school leaders, school safety and gun violence, artificial intelligence, civics education, the U.S. Department of Education, inclusion and human rights.
The Diann Woodard Scholarship Committee also worked on a new scoring matrix and timeline for the 2027 scholarship program.
The GEB meeting reflected the broad responsibilities of a national union representing school leaders: organizing and building power, strengthening local unions, addressing workplace concerns, engaging on issues affecting students and schools, and preparing AFSA for the challenges ahead.
For AFSA President Mark Cannizzaro, the meeting was also about ensuring that the work of the national union remains connected to what school leaders experience every day. “Our strength comes from our local unions and the school leaders we represent. These meetings give us the opportunity to listen to one another, identify where our members need support and turn those conversations into action. Whether we are talking about organizing, school safety, technology, student nutrition or strengthening our locals, the question is always the same: What can AFSA do to help school leaders do their jobs and make their voices stronger?”
(Photo: Maralyn O’Brien, chief strategy officer at the Chef Ann Foundation with the AFSA GEB)
