Dr. Tia T. Mills
for NEA Executive Committee
MEET DR. MILLS
As an educator, you know that right now is a critical moment - for our country, for our public schools, for our union, and for our children. It is a moment of significant attacks on our students and educators and on our democracy, but it is also a moment of significant opportunity. Your next member of the NEA Executive Committee must be ready to meet this moment, and nobody is more prepared to be your MVP than Louisiana public school educator Dr. Tia T. Mills. These legislative attacks are unrelenting, and we need a leader who will stand in unity with our students and educators. A special education teacher from Baton Rouge, Dr. Mills is a motivated, visionary, and passionate leader who has revitalized her state union to earn real wins for public school educators in Louisiana in the face of remarkable odds. The future of our union and the possibilities of our democracy run through the South, and that’s why Dr. Tia T. Mills is running to represent you on the NEA Executive Committee in 2025.
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With over 18 years of experience in her profession, Dr. Tia T. Mills is the President of the Louisiana Association of Educators representing thousands of members across the state. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Southern University and A & M College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in History, a master’s degree in Social Science, and a Special Education certification. Mills obtained an Ed.D. in Organizational and Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She is known for her service and leadership, with recognition at the local, state, and national levels by receiving the following honors: NAACP Benjamin Hooks Keeper of the Flame Award, LAE Teacher Image Award, NEA Foundation’s Horace Mann Award, SU Alumni Federation 40 under 40, and Soror of the Year. Mills represents House District 63 on the Democratic State Central committee, serves on the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana Board of Trustees, and is 1st Vice President of the Tau Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Mills is Vice Chair to the U.S. Advisory Commission on Civil Rights for the state of Louisiana and serves as a board member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. She is a charter member of the 100 Black Women of Metropolitan Baton Rouge as well as a life member of the NAACP and the Southern University Alumni Federation.
All in the Family
Dr. Mills comes from a family of union participation and social activism. Her grandfather, the late Louis Johnson, Sr., was a member of local #99 (formerly #1177) in Baton Rouge, LA. It is an affiliate of the International Laborers Union of North America. Tia's mother is a former PTA president for her community and ran for the local school board. Growing up, she would attend union meetings with her father and would share stories of such experiences with her daughter. Tia's cousin, Richard Barnett is the current Louisiana State Legislative Board Chairman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen while her brother is an active member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 995).
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Extensive Studies in the Movement and Employment
While attending Southern University and A & M College, Dr. Mills has taken undergraduate as well as graduate level courses regarding Labor Movement History under her professor and mentor, the late Dr. Raymond Jacob Lockett. As the Chair of the History Department, he also hired Mills as a graduate assistant, providing her with her first job in education. During the time she served in the Education Support Professional role, she took on tasks that would develop her skill sets to become a future professor. From there, she would become a contingency faculty member at Baton Rouge Community College. After recognizing the critical need for a livable wage and benefits, Mills later pivoted from just working as an adjunct professor and obtained credentials to become a special education teacher. She has been serving as an adjunct professor at Southern University while also working as a teacher in the East Baton Rouge Parish School system for several years.
