Commentary

“It is not because of creative ideas, it is not because of the merit of our position, it is not because we care abut children, it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power and we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe  we are the union that can most effectively represent them, the union that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.”

On at least three previous occasions, because of my distaste for teachers’ unions, I have published that quote from the retiring speech by Bob Chanin, general counsel of the National Education Association (NEA) at the union’s 2009 convention.

It’s appropriate that I publish it again now as President Trump plans to dismantle the Department of Education amid protests from Democrats, who, while supporting the union, choose to ignore the fact that despite our paying the highest level of per student funding in the world, our students consistently score poorly in math and science.

In math, average U.S. fourth and eighth grade scores were lower in 2023 by 18 and 27 points, respectively. Math results for both grades are the lowest they have ever been since the international trends study (TIMSS) began in 1995.

In science, U.S. scores have been declining since 2015.

Unable to make it happen in his first term, the president has told his new education head, Linda McMahon, to “put herself out of a job.” He wants to dissolve the department and distribute its functions among the states, but he will require 60 votes in the Senate to succeed.

The Politicization Factor

You should know that in the 2024 political cycle, 94 percent of the donations went to Democrat organizations as the union is not permitted to contribute to candidates and party committees.

The National Education Association donated $22 million, and the American Federation of Teachers contributed $16 million. In an attempt to keep the Democrat majority in the Senate the two unions donated $9 million to the Senate Majority PAC.

At the same time, the NEA spent $3 million on lobbying while the AFT spent $1,220,000 on lobbying.

Surveys show that nearly 60 percent of the teachers call themselves Republicans or Independents, but almost 100 percent of union spending supports progressive Democrat candidates and policy positions.

While union dues were traditionally spent on collective bargaining, advocating for increased school funding, and continuing the professionalism of teachers, the Government Accountability Institute notes that in the last 20 years, dues were spent more on political campaigns and lobbying.

In its report of the move from academics to activism, the Institute writes about the politicization of teachers’ unions, evidenced by the boisterous speeches by Randi Weingarten, the five-foot-tall AFT president, known for shouting and waving her arms wildly as she speaks.  She represents 1.8 million members.

You may recall how she was duly castigated for inserting politics into K-12 education when she pushed for schools to stay closed during the pandemic and the consequences there after.

Obviously opposed to the dismantling of the Education Department, her talking points refer to the “crisis,” and “chaos” that will follow.  Of course, she has concern for the millions of students with disabilities and those living in poverty as if those closest to them in the individual states will be ignoring them. There are her charges of racism, gender and LGBTQ issues, and the broad brush false claim of book banning

She urges Congress and the courts to “step in to ensure all students can maintain access to a high-quality public education.”

However, as evidenced by the rankings of U.S. in math and science, the Pew Research Center last year revealed that just 16 percent of adults say public K-12 education system is generally going in the wrong direction.

While Republicans believe there’s a lack of focus on core academic subjects (79 percent) and are critical of teachers bringing their personal views into the classroom (76 percent), Democrats (78 percent) naturally see insufficient funding and, unbelievably, nearly half are critical of parents having too much say in what schools are teaching.

About the Department

Prior to Trump’s return to the presidency, there were 4,144 employees in the cabinet level department.  He has reduced the workforce to about 2,000 through layoffs, although there is a call to reinstate them. 

The department had a $268 billion budget in 2024.  The average salary was $144,698, with the median salary placed at 235 percent higher than the U. S. median salary.

A Side Note: Curious about the tree that dominates the seal of the Department of Education, I learned that it “expresses the confidence and strength imparted to the individual through the development of the individual and the assimilation of knowledge.”  The sun’s rays “suggest the role of the Department in the promotion, nurturing, and encouragement of the best in all aspects of the nation’s educational system.”

Now … read the lead-in quote to this blog edition again.

“Trump has a unique opportunity to work in lockstep with reform-minded governors to devote as much education power as possible back to where it belongs -local, local, local,” opined Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberly A. Strassel.

May God continue to bless the United States of America and may President Trump succeed in reforming education.