Antonia Cortese was elected Executive Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers in 2004. She has served as vice president of the AFT and an officer of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). She was elected NYSUT second vice president in 1973, a position she held until 1985, when she was elected first vice president. She previously was a vice president of NYSUT's predecessor, the New York State Teachers' Association. NYSUT represents more than 575,000 people in New York's public schools, colleges, universities, and health facilities.

Ms. Cortese oversaw the union's newspaper, a bi-weekly publication, and was responsible for NYSUT's wide-ranging, nationally-respected Division of Research and Educational Services. She also was an elected vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, NYSUT's national parent organization, and sat on the AFT Executive Council. Ms. Cortese also was a vice president of the New York State AFL-CIO.

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

As Executive Vice President, Ms. Cortese oversees the development of the organization's education policies. She chairs the AFT Task Force on NCLB, and among her many professional activities, Ms. Cortese serves on the board of the Learning First Alliance, a national coalition of major education organizations; she is co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition, serves on the Freedom House board of trustees and was recently elected to the United Way of America board of trustees. Ms. Cortese also accepted an appointment to the American Bar Association's Commission on Civic Education and Separation of Powers. The commission's honorary chair is Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Previously, Ms. Cortese served on the executive committee and as a member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which develops and administers assessments leading to the certification of accomplished teachers.

She has served as an appointee of the U.S. Department of Education to the National Assessment Governing Board, which is responsible for the National Assessment of Educational Progress.