The nation&#8217;s largest teachers union imposes racial quotas for its board and leadership, designating a portion of its roles for those who qualify as an “ethnic minority,” a report from Defending Education, exclusively obtained by The Daily Wire, reveals.
The National Education Association (NEA), which <a href="https://www.nea.org/">calls itself</a> “the nation&#8217;s largest professional employee organization,” stipulates in its constitution that various boards and committees are required to have a specific proportion of “ethnic minority” members, and that elections can be held for certain positions with the specific intent “to elect a member of an ethnic-minority group.” The NEA’s <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/teachers-unions-bylaws-bipoc-delegates-and-reps/">bylaws</a> spell out those who qualify as ethnic minorities, listing all racial categories other than whites.
“Ethnic minorities shall comprise at least twenty (20) percent of the Board,” the NEA constitution reads, adding that the “Representative Assembly shall elect additional directors as appropriate to assure such ethnic-minority representation.”
“There shall be a minimum of twenty percent ethnic minority representation on each committee,” the NEA constitution goes on to say. The organization’s constitution also stipulates that, if the NEA has had white presidents for eleven consecutive years, then “the Association shall take such steps as may be legally permissible to elect a member of an ethnic-minority group.”
While the NEA focuses on imposing its racial agenda, it has presided over a decline in educational outcomes, Defending Education Director of Outreach Erika Sanzi told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The NEA has become a race-obsessed organization, and these racial quotas written into their constitutions and bylaws provide further evidence of how far they&#8217;ve fallen,” Sanzi charged. “It has become an ideological project for them, and it&#8217;s no surprise that educational outcomes continue to decline as the largest teachers union in the country become more and more extreme.”
This focus on DEI isn’t relegated to NEA itself, however. The organization’s affiliate groups across the country similarly maintain specific positions that can only be held by members of certain racial and ethnic groups.
The California Teachers Association, an affiliate of the NEA, limits certain elected representative positions within the organization to those who identify as “BIPOC,” an acronym that stands for “black, indigenous, people of color.” Those running for the organization’s at-large position “must be BIPOC,” the group’s <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/teachers-unions-bylaws-bipoc-delegates-and-reps/">election manual</a> states.
“NEA policy requires that each state include BIPOC delegates in numbers commensurate with the population of the state,” the manual adds.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association, another NEA affiliate, similarly disqualifies white people from holding certain elected positions on account of their race. The organization’s board of directors <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/teachers-unions-bylaws-bipoc-delegates-and-reps/">reserves a spot</a> for an “At-Large Director for Ethnic Minority Membership,” noting that the term is used to refer to those who are “American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and Cape Verdean.”
There’s also the Michigan Education Association, which <a href="https://mea.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/M-3-MEA-PAC-Policies-May-2024-pending-RA-and-Board-approval.pdf">stipulates</a> that the governing board of its political action council must include “two (2) members who identify as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color (BIPOC).”
Defending Education points out that these race-based policies have become commonplace in other organizations across the country, noting that at least 36 teachers union organizations, from Wyoming to Mississippi, reserve positions on boards or committees for those who qualify as &#8220;BIPOC.&#8221;
The NEA and its state affiliates did not return requests for comment.

NEA Speaker

EXCLUSIVE: Teachers Unions Across America Have Racial Quotas For Leadership Roles

DEIA

Education

National Education Association

school

Teachers Unions

The leaders of America&#8217;s two largest teachers unions, which fought to keep public schools closed during <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> and have pushed to bring radical leftist ideology to the classroom, spoke at the final night of the Democratic National Convention Thursday.
American Federation For Teachers president Randi Weingarten <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6_mEFVYca0">claimed</a> that former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance &#8220;can&#8217;t claim they&#8217;re pro-child while gutting funding for public schools,&#8221; and that &#8220;being pro-family means we support access to good union jobs, affordable housing, health care, and higher education.&#8221;
Weingarten, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-union-boss-randi-weingarten-mocked-for-unhinged-politicized-speech-warning-of-fascism">claimed</a> last month that Trump was an &#8220;existential threat to democracy,&#8221; heads the nation&#8217;s second-largest teachers union. The labor leader has come under fire in recent months for asserting that she fought to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/randi-weingarten-is-gaslighting-us-she-fought-to-keep-schools-closed-not-open">keep schools open</a> during the coronavirus pandemic, when in fact she did the exact opposite. Weingarten in 2020 called the Trump administration&#8217;s push to reopen schools “reckless,” “callous,” and “cruel.”
Though research showed as early as 2020 that children could safely return to the classroom, teachers unions fought to keep schools closed. School closures caused significant learning loss across the country, studies have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-union-exec-suggests-learning-loss-made-us-all-equal">shown</a>.
Joining Weingarten on stage was National Education Association President Becky Pringle, who told the crowd in Chicago that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the best hope for American students.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1723831707612000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0pyrv88A5nsmWM2F2Wr9As">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
&#8220;They will strengthen our schools, support our educators, and help our students live into their brilliance,&#8221; Pringle said, hours before the vice president is slated to officially accept the Democratic presidential nomination. &#8220;Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are not just wrong — they&#8217;re dangerous,&#8221; Pringle said.
Pringle last month was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-union-head-mocked-for-totally-unhinged-speech">slammed</a> for delivering a &#8220;totally unhinged speech&#8221; in which she said &#8220;we have to transform&#8221; the public education system &#8220;into something it was never designed to be — a racially and socially just and equitable system that prepares every student!&#8221; A known partisan, Pringle heads the nation&#8217;s largest teachers union, which in 2022 gave <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nations-largest-teachers-unions-dump-at-least-2-25-million-on-michigan-gov-whitmer-re-election-campaign">$1 million</a> to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer&#8217;s (D) re-election campaign.
Whitmer was one of several Democratic governors who pushed to keep schools closed during COVID. She was joined in those efforts by Walz, who as Minnesota governor instituted some of the nation&#8217;s strictest COVID lockdowns.
Walz, who in March 2020 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flashback-walz-implemented-covid-hotline-to-snitch-on-neighbors">established</a> a hotline and encouraged Minnesotans to snitch on neighbors who violated lockdowns by attending worship services, kept schools closed and mandated students wear masks well into the COVID pandemic. Critics <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walzs-covid-emergency-powers-were-challenged-as-overreaching">challenged</a> those restrictions in court, though the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled they were constitutional.
Pringle pointed to Walz&#8217;s work as a public school teacher to underscore her claim that the Harris-Walz ticket is the best thing for American students.
The Daily Wire reported this week that Walz has made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walzs-misleading-claims-about-winning-teaching-awards">misleading claims</a> about winning &#8220;teacher of the year awards,&#8221; just days after he caught flak for making similarly misleading claims about his military service and his wife&#8217;s use of in vitro fertilization.
The Harris campaign has emphasized Walz&#8217;s work as a teacher, though his positions on education as governor have come under scrutiny. As governor, Walz signed legislation requiring that Minnesota public schools put <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/did-tim-walz-really-put-tampons-in-the-boys-bathroom">tampon dispensers</a> in boys bathrooms, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-public-teacher-walz-attacked-school-choice-schemes-that-leaves-our-teachers-in-the-short">slammed school choice</a> as a &#8220;scheme&#8221; that &#8220;leaves our teachers in the lurch.&#8221;

Randi Weingarten

Teachers Union Heads Who Fought To Keep Schools Closed During COVID Speak At DNC

American Federation of Teachers

Democratic National Convention

Elections

Kamala Harris

Politics

School closures

The president of the country&#8217;s largest teachers union was mocked for a “totally unhinged” speech in which she shouted about winning &#8220;all the things.&#8221;
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA), banged on the podium, waved her arms, and laughed out loud as she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ifRgiOOJ8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shouted</a> about social justice last week at the union&#8217;s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Philadelphia.
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Teachers union president Becky Pringle lets the mask slip admitting they &quot;organize for POWER.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8nJtotJ8vr">https://t.co/8nJtotJ8vr</a>
&mdash; Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1810154851080528316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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If you had any doubts about the priorities of teachers unions, just watch this bizarre speech by NEA President Becky Pringle.
Believe it or not this isn’t from the Democratic National Convention — it’s the NEA annual convention. <a href="https://t.co/W8lDsqFG2T">pic.twitter.com/W8lDsqFG2T</a>
&mdash; Nicki Neily (@nickineily) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickineily/status/1810314623025119676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During her speech, which frequently <a href="https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/remarks-prepared-delivery-becky-pringle-president-national-education-association-103rd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">departed</a> from her published prepared remarks, Pringle vowed that the union would &#8220;reclaim&#8221; public education.
&#8220;But you and I know we can&#8217;t stop there,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We have to transform it into something it was never designed to be — a racially and socially just and equitable system that prepares every student! Every student! Every student! Every one! With conviction and commitment.&#8221;
Pringle also reaffirmed the NEA&#8217;s opposition to school choice.
&#8220;With determination and defiance, we will protect public education,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We will fight privatization. We will fight vouchers. We will fight any and all schemes to drain resources from our beloved public schools!&#8221;
Pringle also railed against former President Donald Trump, as well as what she called a &#8220;stacked&#8221; Supreme Court.
“We worked hard to rid ourselves of a tyrannical, deceitful, and corrupt White House. We did. But the reality is that the seeds that were sown during that horrible season continue to germinate,” Pringle said.
&#8220;Today, they sprout as vitriol toward our profession, increased marginalization of black, brown, AAPI, and Indigenous communities, rising hatred toward our LGBTQ+ siblings,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The seeds of hate manifest themselves as attacks against our freedom to teach and our students’ freedom to learn. They&#8217;ve mushroomed into poisonous spores of a stacked Supreme Court — one that continues to render decisions that attack, diminish, and disregard the needs and lived experiences of far too many Americans.&#8221;
“Our students are depending on us to win all the things,” Pringle said.  “All the things! All the things! All the things!”
&#8220;Did I say we ain&#8217;t going back? Ain&#8217;t going back!&#8221; she added.
&#8220;Like Harvey Milk, we will stand in our authenticity!&#8221; Pringle said. &#8220;Like Cesar Chavez, we will practice relentless activism!&#8221;
On social media, critics compared Pringle&#8217;s exuberant remarks to a famous scene with Dwight Schrute on the hit television show The Office, a scene that was based on actual speeches by famous Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis called Pringle&#8217;s speech “off-the-rails” and said she &#8220;pulled a Dwight Schrute.&#8221;
“These power-hungry control freaks think they own your kids. They’re in a cult that worships government and detests parents. It’s time to defund teachers unions and allow the money to follow the child,” DeAngelis <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/07/08/us-news/teachers-union-president-mocked-for-copying-the-office-in-totally-unhinged-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News. “Becky Pringle pulled a Dwight Schrute. She is off-the-rails and desperate to maintain control over the minds of other people’s children.”
DeAngelis <a href="https://x.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/1810154851080528316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> on X that Pringle let the &#8220;mask slip&#8221; in admitting union members &#8220;organize for POWER.&#8221;
Nicki Neily, founder and president of Parents Defending Education, also criticized Pringle.
&#8220;If you had any doubts about the priorities of teachers unions, just watch this bizarre speech by NEA President Becky Pringle. Believe it or not this isn’t from the Democratic National Convention — it’s the NEA annual convention,&#8221; Neily said.
Pringle <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/our-righteous-fight-for-freedom-teachers-union-president-goes-full-dwight-schrute-in-unhinged-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered</a> a similar speech last year that was also panned as over the top.

US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-GUN

Teachers Union Head Mocked For ‘Totally Unhinged’ Speech

Public Schools

Teachers

U.S.

Parents near <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston</a> are becoming increasingly frustrated with the local teachers union, which has been on strike for nearly two weeks, keeping kids out of classrooms.
Public school teachers in Newton, just west of Boston, have been on an illegal strike for 1o days as of Thursday. The union, the Newton Teachers Association, is under the National Education Association.
Massachusetts law prohibits public school teachers to strike, and the union has already racked up at least $525,000 in fines.
At least two families with children in Newton schools have filed two lawsuits over the strike.
One couple who sued said their daughter has a learning disability and is suffering emotional distress from being out of the classroom.
The other lawsuit was filed by a mother who says her 10th-grader is facing some setbacks this year and that missing regular assistance in reading, writing, and math could jeopardize her chances of college acceptance. The mom also said her children have missed part of the hockey season and activities with the ski team club.
A dad of two middle and high school students <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/01/31/newton-teachers-strike-community-hopes-for-resolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WBUR, &#8220;we feel like our children are suffering significant harm as a result of an illegal strike and the law is in place for a reason.&#8221; He added that he and his wife cannot stay home from work.
However, some parents have expressed support for the teachers, one mom saying she stands with the educators &#8220;ten-thousand percent.&#8221;
The teachers union is demanding more pay, smaller classes, more social workers in schools, and a 12-week parental leave policy.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
On Tuesday, the school district was <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/02/01/newton-schools-teacher-strike-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering</a> pay increase from $62,000 salaries to more than $81,000 by 2027 for some teachers. The average teacher pay in Newton is roughly $93,000, based on <a href="https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/teachersalaries.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the 2020 school year.
Earlier in the week, the Newton City Council called on the teachers to accept a new salary contract and end the strike.
&#8220;This strike has to end. We need to get our kids back in the classroom, and we need to do it now,&#8221; City Council President Marc Laredo <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/as-newton-schools-remain-closed-parents-express-support-opposition-to-teachers/3263929/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Tuesday at a press conference, adding that children &#8220;are suffering.&#8221;
&#8220;It makes me question whether the union really wants a deal,&#8221; Newton School Committee Chair Christopher Brezski said at a separate press conference. &#8220;It makes me question what this strike is really about. Is it about Newton&#8217;s kids and teachers? Is it about money? Or is it about some other bigger agenda, one where our kids are being used as pawns?&#8221;
The Newton school district enrolls 12,000 students in more than 20 schools.

Newton Teachers On Strike

Parent Frustration Mounting Over Boston Area Teachers’ Nearly Two-Week Illegal Strike

Parent Frustration Mounting Over Boston Area Teachers' Nearly Two-Week Illegal Strike

Boston

Massachusetts

On June 12, the largest public school system in the country issued new guidelines on how schools should support transgender and “gender-expansive” students. 
The New York State Education Department promulgated a <a href="https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/student-support-services/creating-a-safe-supportive-and-affirming-school-environment-for-transgender-and-gender-expansive-students.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">42-page document</a> outlining how educators should address trans-identifying students. The state’s directive mirrors the guidance previously issued by the National Education Association (NEA), which released a similar document in 2015 titled <a href="https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/assets/resources/Schools-In-Transition.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools</a>.” The Freedom Foundation <a href="https://www.freedomfoundation.com/teachers-unions/neas-schools-in-transition-guide-instructs-teachers-to-encourage-transgenderism-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uncovered</a> the stunning report last month, which reveals the near decade long push by the teachers union for radical gender ideology in the classroom.
New York’s new public school policies are eerily similar to the NEA’s 2015 guide. Both documents begin with an introduction that insists students — therefore, minors — are able to be neither male nor female, may change their gender day by day, and go so far as instructing teachers on how to keep a student’s gender transition a secret from the child’s parents.
The New York State Education Department <a href="https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/student-support-services/creating-a-safe-supportive-and-affirming-school-environment-for-transgender-and-gender-expansive-students.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> declares:
<blockquote>“Some TGE (transgender and gender expansive) students have not talked to their families about their gender identity because of safety concerns or lack of acceptance and may begin their transition at school without parent/guardian knowledge.” It continues, “Only the student knows whether it is safe to share their identity with caregivers, and schools should be mindful that some TGE students do not want or cannot have their parents/guardians know about their transgender status.”</blockquote>
The guidance goes on to mandate that all employees and students conform, demanding:
<blockquote>“All school staff members and students must refer to students by their chosen names and pronouns and schools should create opportunities to confirm the correct information with all their students in a manner that respects student privacy.”</blockquote>
Even further, the schools will censure anyone who doesn&#8217;t conform:
<blockquote>“Intentionally referring to a student, verbally or in writing, by a pronoun inconsistent with the student’s gender identity or by a name other than the student’s affirmed name is a NYS Human Rights Law violation and is unacceptable.”</blockquote>
Imagine getting a call from the principal’s office because your child called a boy a boy or called a girl a girl. Even worse, imagine finding out your 8th grader is “transitioning” behind your back, and the school district is intentionally preventing you from finding out.
Continuing to ignore science, the guidance requires that:
<blockquote> “Students must be permitted to participate in all school activities (for example, day and overnight field trips) in accordance with their gender identity asserted at school.”</blockquote>
Additionally, transgender and &#8220;gender expansive&#8221; students must be provided access to facilities such as restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms consistent with their gender identity asserted at school.
These mind-boggling assertions mimic the NEA’s 2015 guidance, which declared that regardless of the feelings of their peers, transgender students must be allowed to use the restroom that matches their new gender identity. The teachers union guidance also defies biological facts by insisting that transgender students do not have any athletic advantage and must be allowed to join sports teams that reflect their new gender identity.
This Left-wing propaganda crafted by the NEA in 2015 has finally infiltrated the largest public school system in the country and not without consequences. The number of young people who identify as transgender has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/10/science/transgender-teenagers-national-survey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly doubled</a> in recent years.
It is obvious the NY guidance was inspired by the NEA’s guidelines seeking to bombard our youth with progressive politics instead of actually educating them. 
In May, New York’s Democratic committee <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/05/key-new-york-democratic-party-subcommittee-opposed-resolution-lgbtq-education/386316/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed a resolution</a> that called for elected officials and the governor to create a statewide LGBTQ curriculum for public schools.
The Left-wing indoctrination train has left the station, and it’s up to teachers and parents to be aware of these radical initiatives and put an end to this attack on our children.
Juliana Rubio is a communications strategist and spokesperson of the <a href="https://www.freedomfoundation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom Foundation</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

hand makes the peace sign

New York State Adopts NEA’s Radical Gender Agenda For Public Schools

gender ideology

Gender Pronouns

New York

Readers Pass

Transgender

Former Education Secretary <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/betsy-devos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Betsy DeVos</a> tangled with the National Education Association on Twitter, arguing that parents were better equipped than anyone else to say what was best for their children.
The exchange began with the NEA — the largest labor union in the United States — claiming in a Saturday tweet that professional educators knew &#8220;better than anyone&#8221; what children needed in order to grow and learn.
&#8220;Educators love their students and know better than anyone what they need to learn and thrive,&#8221; the tweet claimed.
DeVos responded, &#8220;You misspelled parents.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
You misspelled parents. <a href="https://t.co/uMc9ozCUS7">https://t.co/uMc9ozCUS7</a>
&mdash; Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetsyDeVos/status/1592169087794290694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The union pushed back, claiming that their goal was for educators to work alongside parents in an effort to ensure that all students had the necessary &#8220;resources and opportunities&#8221; that would provide the best learning environment possible.
&#8220;Together, families and educators are an essential team for advocating for the resources and opportunities all students need,&#8221; they said before taking a direct swipe at DeVos. &#8220;Out-of-touch billionaires, however, are not.&#8221;
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Together, families and educators are an essential team for advocating for the resources and opportunities all students need. Out-of-touch billionaires, however, are not. <a href="https://t.co/I6gYIwZA0g">https://t.co/I6gYIwZA0g</a>
&mdash; NEA (@NEAToday) <a href="https://twitter.com/NEAToday/status/1592207540049571841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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DeVos&#8217; comment appeared to strike the tone that has been echoed by the American people in recent elections, however, as a number of <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/conservatives-flip-school-boards-in-wave-of-education-wins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school boards</a> were flipped to Republican control in Tuesday&#8217;s midterm election.
Parents became increasingly involved in school board meetings during and after the COVID pandemic, fighting back against COVID-related masking and lockdown policies as well as sounding the alarm about curriculum concerns after virtual learning brought some of the issues children were studying — quite literally — to the kitchen table.
Parents pushed back after the teachers unions fought to keep virtual learning in place long after it became apparent that it was doing more harm than good — particularly with regard to mental health — and in an effort to <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/national-school-board-association-at-risk-of-total-collapse-following-letter-comparing-parents-to-domestic-terrorists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shut down parental protests</a>, the National School Board Association called on the United States Justice Department to treat parents who attended meetings as thought they were &#8220;domestic terrorists.&#8221;
Reclaiming parental voices in education was not just a winning issue for school board candidates, either — Republican Virginia Governor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/glenn-youngkin-outlines-his-plan-to-make-virginias-education-system-number-one-in-nation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenn Youngkin</a> rode to victory, in part, on the wave of anger inspired by Democrat <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/democrat-terry-mcauliffe-i-dont-think-parents-should-be-telling-schools-what-they-should-teach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terry McAuliffe&#8217;s</a> claim that parents had no right to weigh in on the curriculum being taught in their children&#8217;s schools. Similarly, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis&#8217; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/does-it-say-that-in-the-bill-ron-desantis-rebukes-reporter-for-pushing-dont-say-gay-narrative/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parental Rights in Education law</a> gave him a boost ahead of his reelection.

President Trump Participates In National Dialogue On Safely Reopening Nation’s Schools

‘You Misspelled Parents’: Betsy DeVos Throws Down With Teachers Union Over Who Knows What’s Best For Kids

Betsy DeVos Throws Down With Teachers Union Over Who Knows What's Best For Kids

Betsy DeVos

Parenting

Michigan Democrat Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer&#8217;s</a> re-election campaign received at least $2.25 million in donations from two of the nation&#8217;s largest teachers unions.
According to a Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-teachers-unions-spent-2-25-million-re-elect-whitmer-michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, the pro-Whitmer group &#8220;Put Michigan First,&#8221; which aligns itself with the Democratic Governors Association, took $1 million in campaign contributions from the National Education Association (NEA), while the American Federation of Teachers Solidarity, a group affiliated with American Federation of Teachers, gave $1.25 million this year to the group.
Whitmer has not responded to media requests for comment.
However, it is no surprise that the nation&#8217;s most powerful teachers unions have bankrolled Whitmer, considering she has been one of the most unwavering governors in the country regarding her response to the COVID pandemic, particularly in the education sector.
According to <a href="https://about.burbio.com/school-opening-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Burbio&#8217;s K-12 School Opening Tracker</a>, Whitmer recommended returning to in-person learning in March 2021, which set the state 33rd in the nation for allowing in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year.
Michigan lifted its recommended school mask mandate in February 2022.
During a debate against her Republican challenger Tudor Dixon last week, Whitmer downplayed her draconian orders for educational institutes during the pandemic by claiming &#8220;kids were out for three months&#8221; after Dixon said Whitmer kept students out of school longer than any other state.
Yet, Whitmer&#8217;s argument fell on deaf ears.
&#8220;Perhaps she wasn&#8217;t paying attention to what was actually happening,&#8221; Dixon said. &#8220;Maybe she thinks she can convince you that schools were only closed for three months, but you know better because your students are the ones that are desperately behind.&#8221;
Dixon told Fox News Digital that Whitmer &#8220;blatantly lied&#8221; during the debate regarding her claim, adding that she continues to take cues directly from her &#8220;union bosses that shut schools down&#8221; and &#8220;kept our kids locked down at home longer than necessary.&#8221;
The gubernatorial candidate said such measures created an education crisis in the state.
&#8220;Her running-mate Garlin Gilchrist even had the audacity to say we must first take care of the adults in our education system — total disregard for kids and parents,&#8221; Dixon said. &#8220;Gretchen is gaslighting the people of Michigan and is attempting to rewrite history to save face for her disastrous lockdown policies.”
The Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/democrats-very-bad-debate-night" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> Whitmer said her claims referred only to school closures directly ordered by her rather than what state health officials and individual school districts chose, which she argues were out of her control.
Dixon, who is an advocate for school choice, said parents would feel empowered &#8220;every step of the way&#8221; by prioritizing students over school systems.
The Republican candidate&#8217;s school choice stance has gained the support of some of the most prominent activists for the movement in the country, like former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her family. According to Fox News, they have given a combined $2.9 million to the Michigan Families United Super PAC that&#8217;s backing Dixon.
Dixon has also received $1 million in support from MAGA Inc.
Taylor Budowich, the head of the Trump-connected political committee, told Fox News that the teachers union backing Whitmer has &#8220;done more to destroy the future of children … and no bigger rubber stamp for their anti-child agenda than Gretchen Whitmer.&#8221;
&#8220;Their flashy ads won&#8217;t give children years of their lives and education back, it won&#8217;t make Michigan families forget about their draconian lockdowns and closures, and it won&#8217;t stop voters from electing Tudor Dixon on Nov. 8th,&#8221; Budowich said.

Barack Obama Campaigns With Joe Biden In Michigan 3 Days Ahead Of Election

Nation’s Largest Teachers Unions Dump At Least $2.25 Million On Michigan Gov. Whitmer Re-Election Campaign

Nation's Largest Teachers Unions Dump At Least $2.25 Million On Michigan Gov. Whitmer's Re-Election Campaign

Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan

As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teacher</a> shortages loom ahead of the new school year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/teachers-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union</a> leaders are calling for more financial resources.
In a recent interview with <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-300000-teacher-school-staff-vacancies-nea-president/story?id=88242614">ABC News</a>, National Education Association President Rebecca Pringle estimated that the United States lacks 300,000 teachers and support staff — the fruition of a “crisis in the number of students who are going into the teaching profession and the number of teachers who are leaving it.” Likewise, 55% of teachers reportedly consider exiting the profession earlier than they had expected.
The shortage comes as COVID and the lockdown-induced recession prompted millions of Americans to retire or otherwise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-continue-to-opt-out-of-the-workforce">exempt themselves</a> from the job market. The labor force participation rate has dropped from 66% in 2008 to 62% in 2022, falling 3% between February 2020 and April 2020 alone, according to data from the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>.
In response to the shortage, Pringle recommended that citizens ask that “all of our schools are funded, so all of our students have what they need and they deserve.” American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, meanwhile, pointed to “inadequate support and resources” and “subpar compensation” in a July <a href="https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-unveils-report-teacher-and-school-staff-shortages">press release</a> discussing the teacher shortage.
Despite claims of poor funding, there is by no means a lack of taxpayer dollars flowing toward government schools. A <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_236.55.asp?current=yes">report</a> from the National Center for Education Statistics indicated that the inflation-adjusted yearly expenditure per American pupil rose from $4,060 to $15,424 between 1960 and 2017 — a 280% increase. Another <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED543118.pdf">study</a> from the Department of Education revealed that schools increased the number of non-teaching staff by 702% between 1950 to 2009 and hired 252% more teachers over the same period.
The state of Virginia, for example, “would have had an extra $29,007 to spend per teacher if it had limited the growth of administrators and other non-teaching staff” from 1992 to 2009, according to the study.
As Robert Bortins — the CEO of Christian homeschool curriculum provider Classical Conversations — explained to The Daily Wire, the bloated funding occurs even as the United States remains in a mediocre position on many international education metrics.
“If the New York Yankees, who routinely have the highest payroll in the MLB, missed the playoffs almost 100% of the time, the front office would be fired, not given more money,” Bortins noted. “Giving our current government education system — a group of individuals who can&#8217;t even properly identify man versus woman — more money is not the solution to providing our children a better education.”
Indeed, unions themselves likely play a role in the educator shortage, according to Bortins. “Teacher unions have helped create this broken system through decades of legislative reform that are designed to give themselves power, rather than empowering families to give their children a great education,” he continued. “Teacher unions support legislation that puts unneeded and unnecessary licensing burdens on new teachers, keeping qualified individuals out of the profession due to being improperly credentialed.”
Jeremy Tate — the founder of the Classic Learning Test, a standardized exam geared toward students with Christian and classical educations — told The Daily Wire that “the motivating force” behind teachers unions is “not serving students, but protecting teachers.”
“Nothing discourages young people from entering the teaching profession more than teachers unions and the policies they push. Teaching is inherently a heroic calling, but the unions put an ugly stain on the beauty and dignity of this great profession,” he said. “Pouring your life into the next generation is a high and beautiful calling for young people and they get excited about it. But having to join the ranks of an organization that clearly doesn’t want the best for students kills this excitement.&#8221;

Unions Complain Of Dire Teacher Shortages Ahead Of New School Year, Push For More Funding

labor shortage

Unions

The National Education Association’s (NEA) <a href="https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/conferences-events/annual-meeting-and-representative-assembly">annual conference</a> is underway, and the teachers union is voting on calling for a national policy of mandatory masking, creating an enemies list, and rejecting the words &#8220;mother&#8221; and &#8220;father.&#8221;
The Chicago conference is chock-full of woke agenda items and progressive language involving issues that would seem to have little to do with the proper education of the nation&#8217;s children. The unabashedly leftist organization doesn&#8217;t even seem to recognize its own heterosexual male membership, at least according to one measure in circulation.
&#8220;NEA is a social justice union that is a majority female and trans and gender non-confirming folx,&#8221; one New Business Initiative (NBI) says, calling to &#8220;publicly stand in defense of abortion&#8221; and calling abortion limits an attack on &#8220;students, families, and communities.&#8221;
Another calls for &#8220;a national policy of mandatory masking and COVID vaccines in schools, as well as high-quality virtual education for immuno-compromised students and all families who want it.&#8221;
A third says the NEA will publicize its commitment to &#8220;young people&#8217;s right to learn about and develop their own sexual orientation and gender identity.&#8221;
A fourth promotes language that is &#8220;LGBTQIA+ inclusive,&#8221; including using &#8220;birthing parent&#8221; and &#8220;non-birthing parent&#8221; instead of mother and father.
One initiative calls for spending $140,000 on opposition research about the &#8220;largest 25 organizations that are actively working to diminish a students&#8217; [sic] right to honesty in education, freedom of sexual identify [sic], and teacher autonomy.&#8221;
NBIs are proposals that must be voted on by delegates in order to pass. NEA has previously been radical in what it passes. In 2019, it voted down a motion to &#8220;rededicate itself to the pursuit of increased student learning.&#8221; It voted in favor, meanwhile, of &#8220;discussions around support for reparations&#8221; and incorporating &#8220;the concept of &#8216;White Fragility&#8217; into NEA trainings.&#8221;
Each year&#8217;s NBIs had previously been public on the NEA&#8217;s website, it but abruptly yanked last year&#8217;s offline after parents noticed that it has voted to approve a resolution to “oppose attempts to ban critical race theory” and to provide a study that “critiques . . . capitalism . . . and other forms of power and oppression.” That contradicted teachers&#8217; claim that CRT is not taught in schools.
This year&#8217;s NBIs were uncovered by Terry Stoops, a conservative education expert in North Carolina.
https://twitter.com/TerryStoops/status/1544325118037565441
The NEA did not return a request for comment on why the NBIs are no longer public, and on the results of any voting.
The NEA has previously <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100823105309/http://www.nea.org/tools/17231.htm">promoted</a> Saul Alinsky&#8217;s &#8220;Rules for Radicals,&#8221; highlighting his passage &#8220;If you have a vast organization, parade it before the enemy, openly show your power.&#8221;
The NEA is the largest labor group in the U.S., with more than three million members, including first lady Jill Biden. Its president is Becky Pringle.
As test scores have plummeted following teachers-union-demanded school shutdowns, the NEA urges placing less emphasis on test results that measure whether students are learning. An NEA &#8220;Policy Playbook&#8221; released just before the 2020 election says that &#8220;the over-emphasis on standardized testing has caused considerable collateral damage,&#8221; and focuses instead on &#8220;racial and social justice.&#8221;

March for Our Lives 2022

Teachers Union To Vote On Mandatory Masking, Enemies List, Rejecting Words ‘Mother’ And ‘Father’

NEA Teachers Union To Vote On NBIs Calling For Mandatory Masking, Creating Enemies List, Rejecting Words 'Mother' And 'Father'

Labor Unions

Soon after the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a controversial letter to the Biden administration which asked for federal law enforcement to be leveraged against protesting parents — who were also compared to domestic terrorists — the National Education Association (NEA) sent a similar letter to social media companies.
In this letter, the NEA urged these companies to “prioritize the safety of people over profits” by stifling “propaganda” on the subject of Critical Race Theory (CRT) which supposedly stoked the “alarming” growth of “a small but violent group of radicalized” parents.
“Following recent revelations that the White House actually helped draft the NSBA letter and claims that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona solicited the letter (a claim a Department of Education spokesperson has denied), critics have suggested that the NEA letter represents yet more coordination between government and interest groups to silence parents,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nea-teachers-union-social-media-crack-down-violent-radicalized-parents-crt">Fox News</a> reported.
&#8220;This looks like a concerted effort between the federal government and outside groups like the NEA and NSBA to interfere with the First Amendment rights of parents,&#8221; Ian Prior, father and executive director at Fight for Schools, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. 
On the subject of the allegations that the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-education-secretary-solicited-nsba-letter-comparing-parents-to-domestic-terrorists-report">solicited</a> the first letter from the NSBA, Prior said that &#8220;it doesn&#8217;t stretch the imagination to believe that the federal government was also involved in the NEA letter.&#8221;
&#8220;Senate and House Republicans should do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of it,&#8221; Prior said.
The NSBA sent its letter on September 29, which claimed that school boards across the country were facing &#8220;physical threats&#8221; from those opposed to issues like CRT and COVID-19 policies. Following the Department of Justice’s release of a memorandum on October 4 that mirrored the language of the NSBA’s letter, the NEA <a href="https://www.nea.org/about-nea/leaders/president/from-our-president/neas-letter-social-media-companies">sent its letter</a> on Oct. 8.
Prior described the NEA letter as “ironic.”
&#8220;It&#8217;s ironic that the NEA would reference &#8216;radicalized parents&#8217; who falsely believe that critical race theory is anything but a graduate level course. It was the NEA that introduced measures this summer to support the implantation of critical race theory in K-12,&#8221; he said.
<a href="https://parentsknowbest.com/about-us/">Laura Zorc</a>, executive director of Building Education for Students Together (BEST), argued that the NEA should apologize.
&#8220;The NEA owes concerned parents an apology for accusing them of being violent, &#8216;radicalized,&#8217; and controlled by ‘conspiracy theories,’&#8221; Zorc told Fox News Digital. &#8220;Through BEST [an organization that helps train people to run for school boards and combat issues like COVID-19 closures and CRT]  I helped train more than 1,000 parent activists in 2021, and I can tell you that this is not what I saw.&#8221;
&#8220;Creating a scary strawman while failing to address the actual worries of parents is a typical tactic for these special interest groups,&#8221; Zorc added. &#8220;Social media platforms are key for parents who are trying to organize resistance to the NEA&#8217;s agenda — the NEA&#8217;s call for suppressing so-called misinformation sounds like another name for censorship.&#8221;
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at<a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth"> @ighaworth</a>.

Coordinated Attack On Parents? NEA Called On Big Tech To Combat Anti-CRT ‘Propaganda’ Pushed By ‘Violent’ ‘Radicalized’ Parents

Big Tech

Critical Race Theory

Miguel Cardona

National School Boards Association

A teacher at a Pennsylvania high school who was a member of the <a href="https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/NEA_Handbook_2020-2021.pdf">Board of Directors</a> of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest labor union which represents almost three million employees, mostly teachers, reportedly posted a Facebook message that people who obtained religious exemptions so they could remain unvaccinated for COVID-19 should lose their jobs, get sick, and perhaps die, adding that the GOP should take the “guns they profess to love” and start shooting the unvaccinated individuals.
Mollie Paige Mumau <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/07/teachers-union-officials-facebook-post-says-people-with-religious-vaccine-exemptions-deserve-to-die-suggests-gop-commit-mass-murder/">reportedly</a> wrote on Facebook:
<blockquote>Screw this guy and screw them all who are all about hiding beyond religious exemptions because they don’t want anybody to tell them what to do. People tell you what to do all the time, and you do it. This is such BS. He and his ilk deserve whatever comes their way, including losing jobs, getting sick, and perhaps dying from this virus. But in the meantime, he’s going to put all the people around him in danger. I don’t know why the GOP doesn’t take those guns they profess to love so much and just start shooting all of their constituents who think this way. It would be quicker and ultimately safer than putting me and my friends and family at risk.</blockquote>
A screenshot from Libs of Tik Tok showed a portion of a Facebook page for an account in Mumau&#8217;s name, which indicated she was on the Board of Directors of the National Education Association.
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1467950217802575877
Another screenshot showed the NEA site showing her on the Board of Directors, although later her name was no longer there.
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1467959810637189123
The Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/07/teachers-union-officials-facebook-post-says-people-with-religious-vaccine-exemptions-deserve-to-die-suggests-gop-commit-mass-murder/">contacted</a> the General McLane School District (GMSD) in Pennsylvania. Sarah Grabski, director of communications and administrative services for GMSD, confirmed the district did employ a woman named Mollie Mumau at General McLane High School.
“Grabski said the district could not legally discuss any personnel actions right now but that Mumau is not currently in its buildings,” The Daily Caller noted, adding that GMSD stated “The district is aware of a potentially inappropriate social media comment by a staff member. The district will investigate the matter and act accordingly. In all situations, the district’s utmost concern is the safety of our students and staff.”
“The NEA did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment,” The Daily Caller concluded.
The <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article255509366.html">Miami Herald</a> explained vis-à-vis vaccine mandates from employers and religious exemptions:
<blockquote>Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows workers to request an exception to a job requirement if it “conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances,” labor and employment lawyers at Perkins Coie, which is headquartered in Seattle, said. … “Religious beliefs typically concern the ultimate ideas about life, purpose, and death, humanity’s place in the universe, or right and wrong, and reflect a moral or ethical belief system,” according to Perkins Coie. “Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions, but also religious beliefs that are not part of a formal church or sect or are new or uncommon.”</blockquote>

Cropped Image Of Hand Against Sky

Teacher Who Was Listed On Board Of Directors Of NEA: GOP Should Shoot People Unvaccinated Through Religious Exemption

Religion

Teacher

Vaccine Mandate

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tightened its mask guidelines for children in schools after the National Education Association (NEA) &#8212; the nation&#8217;s largest teachers union &#8212; threatened to release a statement critical of the CDC&#8217;s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and demanding clarification for mask-wearing in educational settings.
The emails, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cdc-tightened-masking-guidelines-after-threats-from-teachers-union">published by Fox News on Wednesday</a>, show extensive collaboration between the White House&#8217;s office of labor engagement and the NEA as well as clear communication between the CDC, the NEA, and the American Federation of Teachers, the nation&#8217;s second-largest teachers unions, on the issue of masking in schools &#8212; communication that appears to have resulted in a CDC recommendation that all individuals mask up in schools, regardless of vaccination status.
&#8220;The Biden administration tightened its masking guidance after a prominent teachers union threatened White House officials with publicly releasing harsh criticism, internal emails show,&#8221; Fox News noted Wednesday. &#8220;The new emails show further coordination between the White House and teachers unions just months after reports highlighted the extent the unions had influenced the administration&#8217;s messaging on school reopenings. The watchdog group Americans for Public Trust obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request and provided them to Fox News.&#8221;
The flurry of emails follows a May 13th announcement from the CDC revising its masking guidelines and announcing that vaccinated adults did not need to wear masks. The NEA, apparently alarmed by the new guidelines, fired off an email to the White House.
&#8220;Would you know when Dr. Wolensky would be able to call NEA-Pres. Becky Pringle?&#8221; a representative from the White House office of union engagement asked the CDC. &#8220;They&#8217;ve gotten significant incoming and are getting targeted for a response from the media. I&#8217;ve gotten them to hold on their statement calling for clarification.&#8221;
The &#8220;statement calling for clarification&#8221; appears to have been a public demand to the Biden administration, insisting that the CDC recommend universal masking in schools regardless of whether students, faculty, and administrators are vaccinated.
&#8220;We appreciate the developing nature of the science and its implications for guidance, but releasing the guidance without accompanying school-related updates creates confusion and fuels the internal politicization of this basic health and safety issue,&#8221; the draft statement read, per Fox. &#8220;CDC has consistently said, and studies support, that mitigation measures, including to protect the most vulnerable, remain necessary in schools and institutions of higher education – particularly because no elementary or middle school students, and few high school students, have been vaccinated.&#8221;
Following communication from the White House, it appears, from the emails, that the CDC took swift action and CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky spoke to both the head of the NEA and Randi Weingarten, the head of the AFT.
The conversations were apparently fruitful.
&#8220;The next day, on May 15, the CDC updated its masking guidance to indicate that all people should wear a mask at school regardless of vaccination status,&#8221; Fox News noted. Those recommendations remain in place according to the CDC website, which was updated to reflect stricter masking recommendations last month, in response to the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
This round of collaboration between the CDC and teachers unions came just days after the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/teachers-union-collaborated-with-cdc-on-school-reopening-emails/">New York Post revealed</a> a first round of collaboration. Those emails showed that the AFT pressed the CDC to recommend schools remain closed.
&#8220;The American Federation of Teachers lobbied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on, and even suggested language for, the federal agency’s school-reopening guidance released in February,&#8221; the Post reported in May. &#8220;The powerful teachers union’s full-court press preceded the federal agency putting the brakes on a full re-opening of in-person classrooms, emails between top CDC, AFT and White House officials show.&#8221;

Dr. Fauci Testifies Before Senate Committee On Federal Response To COVID-19

CDC Tightened School Mask Guidelines After NEA Threatened To Publicly Criticize White House: Report

COVID

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