Tom Mooney 1954 - 2006

Tom Mooney, teachers' union president, dies at 52

From Cleveland.com

Sunday, December 03, 2006, 11:30 p.m.

Tom Mooney, leader of the Ohio Federation of Teachers and a national figure in education, died Sunday at age 52.

Mooney rose from a teacher activist in Cincinnati to vice president of the American Federation of Teachers. He also was president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, a post he was elected to in 2000. Before that, he had been president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers since 1979.

National groups took note of his view that teachers unions should take an activist approach, leading reforms and working to raise teaching standards. He took a strong stand against the use of public money for private school vouchers and recently was pushing for tougher standards for publicly funded, but privately run, charter schools.

Lisa Zellner, spokeswoman for the teachers union, said staffers at the union were devastated by the loss. Mooney died at his Columbus home Sunday morning, apparently of a heart attack.

He had spent part of the day Saturday at a union executive council meeting and the group's holiday lunch, Zellner said. News of his death spread quickly in the state's education community.

The recent election victories for Democrats statewide gave teacher unions hope that the tide is starting to turn, Zellner said, which she said makes Mooney's death such a shame.

"Tom has worked so hard for so long and to have this happen and to have him not see the fruits of his labor is so sad," she said.

Janet Okobenjokoben@plaind.com.

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Sincere condolences to the family and many friends of Mr. Mooney. A leader of great integrity and outstanding ability, whose influence reached far and wide, his untimely loss will be keenly felt in the education community. An incredible loss for all of us. KBB