Marc Abear: Nation's largest teachers union is a far-left political organization

To The Daily Sun,

Increasingly concerned parents are getting involved in criticizing the woke content being imposed on students in schools. Is the criticism valid? If we listen to the administrators and many on school boards, the answer is no. But are the administrators and school boards listening to the input they are getting? 

There’s the rub. To know, they have to do their due diligence. It seems at a minimum there is a difference of opinion about what is appropriate, if not what is actually going on.  

Here is something we know or should know. It can be verified. Most of our schools have teachers. Most of the teachers are part of organized labor. Their union is the National Education Association (NEA) or at least one of its branches or affiliates. People who belong to labor unions pay for that privilege. What you pay money to own, do or belong to, you support.

Becky Pringle, the president of NEA, and the organization have made a hard left turn. It is disappointing the NEA has shifted to leftist political activism. The shame is they are choosing to prioritize politics over children. It is showing in classrooms. That is what parents are making noise about. 

NEA is asserting the problem with America’s education is systemic racism. In doing so, NEA is blaming others for their failures of the country’s public school system. Perhaps more galling is the fact that, in doing so, it is absolving itself of any culpability. Administration has not been addressing this, probably because they are complicit.

In 2019 the NEA voted against rededicating itself “to the pursuit of increased student learning in every public school in America.” Did you know that?

What they did instead was to approve a resolution to “incorporate the concept of ‘White Fragility’ into NEA trainings/staff development, literature, and other existing communications on social, gender, LGBTQIA, and racial justice.” Did you know that? Does it change how you think about what its members are teaching your kids?

Did you know the union voted to “promote the Black Lives Matter Week of Action?” Does it change how you see their focus and priorities? These are our children and our tax dollars.

NEA also approved a resolution to “educate members and the general public about the importance of reparations” Did you know that? Does it change how you think of teachers who are members of NEA? Clearly, the NEA is no longer an advocate for our children. It is a hard left activist political organization with all that implies.

The organization approved a resolution to “call on the U.S. government to accept responsibility for the destabilization of Central American countries (including, but not limited to, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua), and that this destabilization is a root cause of the recent increase of asylum seekers in the United States.” Did you know that? Do you agree this is appropriate for those teaching your kids?

Marc Abear

Meredith