‘Partisan war chest’: Nation’s two largest teachers’ unions spent hundreds of millions on political activities, report finds 

The nation’s two largest teachers’ unions have spent a combined total of nearly $1 billion on political activities over the past decade, according to an analysis by a nonprofit focused on K-12 education.

The analysis, from the North American Values Institute, found that public-sector unions were “using member dues to build political and ideological influence far beyond workplace representation, often through structures that leave members with limited visibility into, or control over, where their money ultimately goes.”

The results were released before the midterm elections in which Democrats, who receive the overwhelming share of teachers’ union political dollars, swept to victory in the House, Senate and many state races.

National Education Association

The National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union with more than 3 million members, spent at least $547 million on political activity, the report found. That included more than $30 million to Education International, “the global teacher-union federation, connecting the NEA to a PLO-affiliated Palestinian teachers’ union whose secretary-general has praised members of U.S.-designated terror groups.”

Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told Heartlander News the $547 million in political spending includes “$458.9 million reported as political activity and lobbying plus another $88.2 million directed to progressive advocacy organizations.”

“Their latest LM-2 filing shows the NEA spent less than 10% of its funding on representing teachers,” he added. “The rest fuels bureaucracy, staff salaries and the same partisan machine that sends nearly all of its political contributions to Democrats every cycle.”

DeAngelis called on Congress to revoke the NEA’s federal charter, a special privilege granted in 1906 with the understanding that the organization would elevate teaching and education.

“An entity so deeply involved in partisan politics has no business receiving the formal backing of the United States government,” he said.

The NEA did not return a request for comment.

American Federation of Teachers

The American Federation of Teachers reported more than $383 million in “political activity and lobbying,” including $123.35 million directed to outside political organizations, according to NAVI’s analysis. The AFT gave more than $2 million to Education International.

By funding these groups and using member dues to advance a political agenda, the analysis said, the unions leave teachers with little control over where their dues ultimately go and which causes they support.

The analysis further found that the AFT “converts its revenue from tax-exempt dues – drawn from public-sector salaries – into sustained political and ideological influence extending far beyond traditional union representation.”

The AFT did not return Heartlander News’ request for comment.

DeAngelis said the AFT operates “as a money-laundering operation for the Democratic Party and the broader socialist infrastructure.”

The NAVI report found that the largest single designation of political spending “was a cluster of four national partisan committees,” including tens of millions of dollars directed toward congressional Democratic super PACs. The AFT also directed spending toward ballot measures and redistricting in Ohio, Oregon, California and other states. The NAVI analysis noted that its spending supports consistent themes, including “politicized curriculum” and “anti-Israel activism.”

“Those dollars come from member dues extracted from teachers’ paychecks. Campaign contribution records have shown the same pattern for decades: roughly 99 percent of AFT political money lands with Democrats every cycle,” DeAngelis said, adding that union leaders, including President Randi Weingarten, have held formal roles in the Democratic Party.

“The same power structure that treats member dues as a partisan war chest also fights every effort to give families education freedom,” he added, arguing that school choice is the best solution to break the union monopoly.

“Funding should follow students to the schools parents choose,” he said. “Until that happens, the AFT will keep converting teacher paychecks into political power for one party and one set of ideological causes.”

Several Democrats elected Tuesday have said they want to end their state’s school choice programs.

(Featured image: NEA President Becky Pringle, AFT President Randi Weingarten)