NEA posthumously awards teacher, Illinois native with its highest honor

DENVER - The National Education Association today posthumously awarded Al Llorens-former president of the Illinois Education Association and defender of public education-with its highest honor, the Friend of Education Award. The award was presented in front of nearly 7,000 educators gathered in Denver, Colorado, during the 2026 NEA Representative Assembly (RA).

Llorens spent more than 30 years as a high school math teacher and head girls' track and cross-country coach at Thornridge High School. Prior to that, he taught fourth-grade phonics and middle school reading in Champaign, and worked as a math and science teacher in Kankakee and Chicago. A two-term member of NEA's Board of Directors, Llorens served as IEA secretary/treasurer and vice president before being elected IEA president in 2023, a position he held until his passing last September.

"I was fortunate to call Al not only a trusted and brilliant colleague, but also a very dear friend whose wisdom, encouragement and support meant so much to me," said NEA President Becky Pringle. "Al is the embodiment of NEA's core values, and his legacy will inspire leaders in classrooms across the country for generations to come."

Llorens' dedication to his colleagues and students was unparalleled. He was known for going out of his way to ensure his students had the resources they needed to succeed, even if it meant showing up early or staying late to work with students one-on-one. Once, when a student broke his leg and was out of school, Llorens visited him at his house, so that he didn't fall behind.

"Al was a tireless advocate for racial and social justice, always working to ensure that every student-no matter their background-had access to the opportunities they deserved," said Pringle. "His life's work pushed all of us to act with courage in the pursuit of fairness, equity, and opportunity for all students and teachers."

As president of the Illinois Education Association, Llorens was an unwavering fighter for students, educators, and strong public schools. He played a leading role in efforts to increase investment in public education and championed policies that ensured every Illinois student had access to a high-quality public school. Among his many accomplishments, Llorens helped lead the successful campaign to end Illinois' Invest in Kids private school voucher program, a significant victory for millions of students. His steadfast commitment to public education leaves a lasting legacy for students and educators alike.

The NEA Friend of Education Award is presented during NEA's annual convention and recognizes a person or organization whose leadership has significantly contributed to improving American public education. Llorens joins previous award recipients: Nobel-prize winners Malala Yousafzai and economist Paul Krugman; education policy writer and researcher Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond; leaders of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB); U.S. Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and William Jefferson Clinton; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley; Sen. Edward Ted" Kennedy; and activists Judith Heumann, Greta Thunberg, Dolly Parton, and Quinta Brunson.

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at nea.org.