By Ray Cardello for July 8, 2022 Season 11 / Post 42

The National Education Association (NEA) is more than 3 million people—educators, students, activists, workers, parents, neighbors, and friends—who believe in opportunity for all students and in the power of public education to transform lives and create a more just and inclusive society.

It is interesting that in the statement above, taken from the NEA website, there is nothing about the education process. It refers to transforming lives but not enhancing minds. That is the core problem with education and teacher unions. Education is no longer their priority. Inclusivity, yes-Math skills, not so much.

Let’s be realistic. The NEA is not a union representing teachers to improve education. The NEA is a political action group that takes dues from its three million members and attempts to shape the political landscape through campaign donations. Of the $895,000 donated this cycle, the NEA has given money to three House Republican campaigns and just $2,000 to one Republican senator — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

The NEA expects to receive about $372 million in revenue from dues this fiscal year. This money goes toward advancing the union’s priorities and general operations.

For instance, the union plans to spend more than $47 million to elect friendly candidates, promote the importance of pro-public education and pro-labor judges, lobby for or against legislation, and support state and local affiliates in ballot measure campaigns. And the union is allocating nearly $7 million for efforts to improve its perception among both members and the general public, which will include a survey to track attitudes toward unions and NEA’s work over time.

These are some of the topics discussed this week at the NEA annual meeting:

1. abortion
2. anti-LGBTQ bills
3. police in schools
4. rules to prevent the banning of CRT from schools
5. rewording of contracts to remove the terms Mother and Father
   1. these are replaced with Birthing-Parent and Non-Birthing-Parent
6. mandatory mask and vaccine mandates

These are social and political topics, and other than Critical Race Theory have little to do with the education process. The mask and vaccine mandate had to be included to add validity to the fact the union used the Pandemic to keep teachers out of the classroom. They now want to continue mask usage even though the Pandemic has been neutralized across the country.

A convention like the one held by the NEA exposes the true purpose of the body. You would expect a convention of teachers and staff would be brimming with ideas on improving the curriculum and improving the student learning experience. 

As evidenced by parental involvement at school board meetings post-Pandemic and the state officials elected on pro-education and pro-family platforms, the education system has woken a sleeping animal. That animal is livid with the manner and topics their children are being exposed to and needs attention. The parents are prepared to reclaim possession of their kids education.

Biden is banking on abortion rights bringing out the base in November. What a surprise that he will be wrong again. With 88% of the country thinking the country is on the wrong track and only 5% concerned with abortion, he cannot stop the tsunami coming his way.