A century-old congressional charter meant to elevate the teaching profession is now facing renewed scrutiny, as one of the Senate’s most powerful education overseers argues the nation’s largest teachers union has drifted far from its original mission.
The National Education Association, which represents millions of educators across the country, is facing accusations of promoting far-left ideology in classrooms, mishandling member dues and failing to protect Jewish members from antisemitism, raising questions about whether Congress should reconsider the union’s federal recognition altogether.
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From Fox News:
In recent years, the National Education Association, which represents roughly 3 million educators, has come under fire for mobilizing students and teachers to support liberal activist campaigns, been criticized by its Jewish members for failing to address antisemitism, spent millions in membership dues supporting left-wing causes and partnered with organizations that portray political violence and far-left extremism favorably.
“Children are struggling to read and to do basic math. Instead of helping students succeed, teachers’ unions are injecting a dangerous, anti-American agenda into our classrooms,” Cassidy told Fox News Digital. “Parents deserve to send their children to school without worrying that they will be indoctrinated with DEI and taught that Americans have ‘misplaced faith’ in our institutions.”
Congress chartered the NEA in 1906 under the expectation that it would “elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States,” a mission Cassidy and some other Republicans argue it has since strayed from. Revoking the NEA’s charter would primarily be a reputational blow to the union, as it would still be able to operate even without it.
Sen. Bill Cassidy’s report also highlights the NEA’s extensive partnership with the Zinn Education Project and Rethinking Schools, two interlinked nonprofits accused of publishing curricular materials that justify the actions of the Black Panther Party, a Marxist organization tied to acts of political violence. Other lesson plans reportedly instruct students to role-play as activists opposing the “Religious Right” or incorporate LGBTQ material into elementary classrooms. The union has given the groups prominent platforms at its conferences and helped distribute their materials to teachers nationwide.
Financially, the report notes the NEA has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars since 2015 to left-leaning advocacy groups and political action committees, including the Sixteen Thirty Fund and Tides Foundation, two of the largest Democratic-aligned dark money networks in the country. The union’s Jewish Affairs Caucus has also raised concerns internally, reporting “shunning, harassment and antisemitic comments” at the union’s annual assembly last year. The American Federation of Teachers, while not congressionally chartered, faced similar criticism in the report for its involvement in “No Kings” protests and a boycott of Target over immigration enforcement.
As institutions meant to serve the public drift from their founding purposes, believers are reminded that stewardship and truth matter, especially in the formation of children’s minds and character. Proverbs 22:6 calls us to train up a child in the way he should go, a charge that belongs first to parents but is shared by every institution entrusted with young hearts and minds. When trust in our schools erodes, it is worth praying for wisdom, accountability and renewed integrity in the institutions shaping the next generation.
As Congress weighs the NEA’s future, consider praying for:
- Wisdom for lawmakers as they examine the union’s charter and activities
- Protection for children from ideological indoctrination in the classroom
- Healing and safety for Jewish educators facing antisemitism within their own union
- Transparency and integrity in how union leadership handles members’ dues
- A renewed focus on academic excellence, literacy and math skills for every student
- Parents and teachers who are standing up for truth in education
How are you praying about this issue? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments below.
(Excerpt from Fox News. Photo Credit: Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images).
