Regional “Reg” Weaver, who served as President of the National Education Association from 2002 to 2008, will be remembered as a powerful voice for educators and an unwavering champion of public education. At the heart of his leadership was an unshakable conviction that "every child deserves a great public school," and he insisted that educators must be respected, supported, and heard to make that vision a reality.
To the Missouri NEA community, Reg was far more than a national leader. He was a trusted friend and mentor to staff, leaders, and members across the state. Through his many visits as a speaker at Summer Leadership Conferences, Representative Assemblies, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrations, Reg inspired generations of educators with his passion, authenticity, and belief in the power of collective action.
Reg was born in Danville, Illinois, and attended segregated schools. He carried that experience as a reminder of what is at stake when opportunity is not shared, and of how powerful it is when a public school truly sees a child's abilities. He went on to be a special education teacher in Harvey, Illinois, for more than 30 years, and friends remember the quiet ways he took care of students, making sure a child had a winter coat, a meal, or school supplies when they needed them.
From the classroom, Reg stepped into union leadership. He became the first Black president of the Illinois Education Association and helped win collective bargaining rights for Illinois educators in the 1980s. In 2002, his fellow educators elected him president of the National Education Association, where he served two full terms. By the time he left office in 2008, NEA had grown to more than 3 million members united around the idea that a great public school for every child is worth organizing for.
A deeply motivational and commanding speaker, Reg had the rare ability to challenge and uplift at the same time. His words energized rooms and renewed commitments, reminding educators why their work mattered and why their voices were essential. Reg made a room of thousands feel like a one-on-one conversation. As he told NEA delegates in 2005: “We recognize that you cannot separate quality public school education from public school educators. One will not flourish without the other.”
Reg carried that same spirit around the world. In 2006, he stood in Lincoln Cathedral in England and spoke about democracy and the freedoms public schools help protect, and the Cathedral honored him with a stone column bearing his name. He later served as vice president of Education International, standing with educators in many countries because he believed the promise of a great public school is something every child deserves, not just those in one state or nation.
Reg Weaver’s legacy lives on in the leaders he mentored, the members he inspired, and the countless students whose lives are better because he never stopped fighting for strong public schools. He will be missed and forever remembered. We will carry his conviction forward.
Illinois Education Association, president (1981-1987)
National Education Association, president (2002-2008)