ANTONIA CORTESE is the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO-elected at the union's national convention in 2008. Before that, Cortese served as AFT executive vice president from 2004 to 2008, and as an AFT vice president from 1974 to 2004.

As AFT executive vice president, Cortese oversaw the union's education policy, which included chairing the AFT task force on the No Child Left Behind Act. She also co-chaired the task force that produced "Building a Profession: Strengthening Teacher Preparation and Induction," a report of the K-16 Teacher Education Task Force.

From 1973 to 2004, Cortese was a leader of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), which now represents more than 600,000 people in New York's public schools, colleges, universities and health facilities. She previously was vice president of the New York State AFL-CIO and a vice president of NYSUT's predecessor, the New York State Teachers Association.

At NYSUT, Cortese was responsible for the union's nationally respected Division of Research and Educational Services and supervised the union's award-winning newspaper.

Among her many professional activities, Cortese—with New York University professor Diane Ravitch—co-chairs Common Core, a group promoting a rich liberal arts education for all students. She serves on the board of the Learning First Alliance, a national coalition of major education organizations; co-chairs the Child Labor Coalition; and serves on the board of trustees of Freedom House, which is a nonpartisan voice for freedom and democracy in the world. She recently was elected to the United Way of America board of trustees.

Cortese is a task force member of Strategic Management of Human Capital in Public Education, an organization that seeks to advance best practices in human resources to bolster teacher effectiveness and improve student achievement. She serves on the strategic advisory committee of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions' "the.News"—a noncommercial multiplatform news broadcast for the nation's high school and middle school students. She is also a liaison to Special Olympics, the AFT's designated charitable foundation.

Most recently, Cortese was appointed treasurer of the AFL-CIO's Department for Professional Employees and a board member of Union Privilege, which was established by the AFL-CIO to provide consumer benefits to members and retirees of participating labor unions. In 2002, she was a recipient of the Union Label Award of Merit.

Previously, Cortese served on the executive committee of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which develops and administers assessments leading to the certification of accomplished teachers. She also was an appointee of the U.S. Department of Education to the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Cortese, a graduate of Syracuse University, began her education career in her native Rome, N.Y., as a fourth-grade teacher and school social worker. Her union involvement originated as a building representative for the Rome Teachers Association, and she later served as its secretary, vice president, and two terms as president.

(April 6, 2009)