The teachers' unions — the ones who are always weeping about underfunded classrooms and teachers buying their own pencils — have collectively spent more than $1 billion on political activities since 2015. That's billion with a B. According to Liberty Nation, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association directed $669 million to federal political causes and another $336 million to state and local campaigns. And $85 million went directly to Democratic Party groups.
A billion dollars. From the people who say they can't afford dry-erase markers. Incredible.
NEA President Becky Pringle had the audacity to say "there is an unfortunate expectation that educators will spend their own money on school supplies and equipment," calling it something that "disrespects educators as professionals and undermines their dedication to students." You know what else disrespects educators, Becky? Siphoning their dues into a political slush fund while their starting salary sits at $44,530.
And where exactly is all this political money going? Not to classrooms. Rhyen Staley, Research Director at Defending Education, put it plainly: "It's just one giant political machine that is trying to take control of everything." The unions have funneled cash to organizations like the National Center for Transgender Equality, Planned Parenthood, Color of Change PAC, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. You know — the stuff little Timmy really needs to learn long division.
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Nicole Neily, President of Defending Education, nailed it: "Educators are victims of a bait-and-switch: instead of their dues going to advocate for increased pay" — well, you can guess where that sentence ends. Teachers pay 1-2% of their gross wages in union dues thinking it goes toward better working conditions. Instead it goes toward electing Democrats and funding progressive activist groups.
Meanwhile, the national average teacher salary is $69,544, teachers are earning 5% less than they did a decade ago when adjusted for inflation, and 77% of school districts offer starting salaries under $50,000. Only 16.6% of districts crack the $100,000 mark. But sure, let's dump another few million into political campaigns.
The unions aren't even subtle about it at the state level. They spent $7.2 million fighting school choice in Kentucky, $4.3 million against school choice in Nebraska, and $4.2 million against it in Maine. They dropped $1.3 million on a single LA Unified School District board race. Local and state donations totaled $135.8 million.
Ryan Walters, CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, said what every parent in America is thinking: "It's very clear that teachers unions seek to destroy our country by turning our students against it."
A billion dollars in political spending. Test scores in the gutter. Teachers still buying their own supplies. And Becky Pringle wants to lecture us about disrespecting educators. The unions aren't fighting for teachers. They're using teachers as ATMs for the Democratic Party — and the kids are the ones getting robbed.
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