Op-Ed: Teachers – Take A Stand! Time To Break Away From The Union

There has been an agenda by the National Education Association and its state affiliates that includes a redefinition of education. They want to radically change society and are opposed to an education system that honors family, instills patriotism and teaches our history and government in an attempt to make independent citizens who can analyze and think for themselves. As an affiliate of the NEA, $208 per year in dues paid by each Idaho member are forwarded by the IEA to the NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C., which the Wall Street Journal described in 2021 as “the ideological and institutional vanguard of progressive politics.”

Financial ties aside, there’s no reason to believe there is any ideological daylight between the IEA and the NEA. For example, last year the IEA’s leadership team proudly participated in the NEA’s “Freedom to Learn” rally in Orlando, which the NEA described as a protest against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and like-minded elected officials at which NEA officials, joined by “local and national racial and social justice organizations,” waved “rainbow flags,” decried “gun violence,” and at which NEA president Becky Pringle declared, “our students do not need protection from drag queens.”

Through the deliberate dumbing down and conditioning of children in government schools, the forces of evil have radicalized youth to hate God, family, and their country. These are the facts: Through the deliberate dumbing down and conditioning of children in mandated government “education,” the forces of evil have radicalized youth to hate America’s Christian, constitutional, and moral heritage. Instead of God-fearing and well-educated children, the schools are creating “global citizens,” ready to play their role as a cog in the machine of a totalitarian global society, explains Alex Newman who has written many books and articles about the danger of following the teacher’s union philosophy and agenda.

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Most teachers have chosen their profession because they love teaching young people and want to make a positive difference. They don’t look at the parents of these children as the “enemy” and instead want to strengthen positive family ties. For decades, government workers in many states could be fired for refusing to financially support a labor union. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in Janus v. AFSCME, 585 US (2018), that public employees can no longer be required to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Teachers need to stand up for what is right and stop following the radical agenda of the teachers’ union!

Here are some choices that provide membership and services that truly reflect the values of most teachers.

There are the “Christian Educators,” and they can be found under christianeducators.org.

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The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national, non-union, professional educators’ organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda. You can find more information under aaeteachers.org.

Finally, Northwest Professional Educators (NWPE) provides teacher liability insurance, legal services, and caring support without paying for controversial political agendas. Partnered with the Association of American Educators, NWPE advances teacher choice in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon by providing an inexpensive, nonpartisan teacher union alternative that saves teachers, paraprofessionals and principals hundreds of dollars per year. You will find more information under nwpe.org.

We support teachers and administrators that feel like they have no choice but to be under the thumb of the union and a radical agenda. Make your voice heard and “opt-out” of the union and communicate that to the administration of your district.

For more help with “opting out” consider contacting the Freedom Foundation in Seattle. Their website is freedomfoundation.com.

Don’t let the radical agenda include you in their attempt to ruin our children, families and education!

This Op-Ed was submitted by Bob Shillingstad. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.