Unions Will Not Protect Your Children

Commentaries


During my years as a teacher, I was a National Education Association (NEA) member in two states. The NEA did not prioritize the academic development or well-being of children then, and it certainly doesn’t today. 

Parents often confuse the teachers they love with the powerful and well-funded unions their children’s teachers have to join. That is a mistake. The teachers unions are among the most well-funded and influential lobbyists in the country. When adult interests and political ideology conflict with the needs (and rights) of children, as they often do in K-12 education, the unions will always protect the adults and the ideology.

Here’s an example: Four years ago, I discovered a massive flaw in my state’s consent law that makes it legal for teachers and other school staff members to have sex with students once they turn sixteen. As I dug deeper, I learned that Rhode Island state law allows sexual touching between teachers and students as young as fourteen—if the student “consents.” The Rhode Island Attorney General’s office has verified all of this.

To read more, visit Real Clear Education.