Kevin Gilbert, 42, of Ridgeland, Miss., a member-at-large on the National Education Association (NEA) executive committee and a former social studies teacher and coach, poses for a portrait in Washington on Thursday, May 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
** FILE ** Vice President Joseph R. Biden salutes after arriving to speak before the 2012 National Educational Association's annual meeting on Tuesday, July 3, 2012, in Washington. (Associated Press)
Vice President Joe Biden salutes after arriving to speak before the 2012 National Educational Association annual meeting, Tuesday, July 3, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
READY TO FIGHT: Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, says recent elections sent a message: "You cannot turn your back on the middle class." (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)