Our schools are struggling because teachers unions don't put kids first | Opinion
The idea that the same things that are good for teachers and their unions also are good for students is utter nonsense.
My kids attend public schools in Texas. They've had some tremendous teachers, who I'm thankful for. Although we've had a good experience overall, it's clear that public education in the United States needs to improve.
K-12 students in America lag peers in other industrialized countries in math, and reading skills have hit a new low. And while students struggle in core subjects, many parents say their children have been indoctrinated with a liberal political bias.
If you doubt that last point, listen to the National Education Association's Teacher of the Year Ashlie Crosson, who delivered a speech that hailed education as a political endeavor at the union's recent national conference.
Crosson, who failed to acknowledge public schools' mediocre results, seemed to be more pro-union than pro-student during her speech on July 4.
Teacher of the year: 'What's good for educators is what's good for students'
Crosson, an English teacher at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, said what teachers want is the same as what students need.
"What's good for educators is what's good for students," Crosson told fellow union members. "The best way to advocate for our students truly is to advocate for ourselves (teachers)."
It's understandable that the NEA's teacher of the year is pro-union. But the idea that the same things that are good for teachers and their unions also are good for students is utter nonsense.
Unions shield their members from the consequences of poor performance and even bad behavior. How does that help students?
Crosson also said teaching is a political endeavor. She said the COVID-19 pandemic galvanized union involvement: "Once I realized how deeply political our profession had always been, I knew I could no longer stay on the sidelines."
Education should not be political, and certainly not partisan. Yet, according to the Pew Research Center, nearly 60% of teachers "identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party."
The NEA's partisanship has grown so extreme that even the union admitted recently that it must do a better job of representing its Republican members.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, even served as a member of the Democratic National Committee for more than 20 years before resigning in June.
During the pandemic, teachers unions pushed to keep schools closed far longer than necessary. They put fearmongering ahead of students' needs.
That had devastating consequences for our children's education, and five years later, the achievement gap still hasn't been erased.
So much for the needs of teachers unions matching the needs of our children.
Texas and other states adopt universal school choice
If public schools really were meeting students' needs, then the widespread adoption of school choice measures would not have nearly as much momentum as it now enjoys. Texas recently became the 16th state to adopt universal school choice. That means all families in states like Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Ohio are eligible to apply for state assistance in attending private schools.
We value our nation's teachers, of course, whether they work in public or private schools. They're vital for our nation's future.
But the teacher of the year's speech was more pro-union than pro-child. And it's that mindset, shared by millions of educators, that has contributed to our nation's mediocre educational results.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with Paste BN. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.