Beth Ann Rosica: Reclaiming education — Congress’s duty to reform the NEA
Before the extended school closures, most Americans had no idea who or what the NEA was. Fast forward five years, and many parents across the country not only know about the national teachers’ union but hold it responsible for significant learning loss and the demise of public education.
The National Education Association (NEA) hijacked the American public school system and is more concerned with activism and political causes than academic outcomes for children. As the largest labor union in the country, it yields immense political power and influence. The organization operates under a federal charter which means Congress has the ability to significantly limit its sway and control.
With a Republican majority in both the House and Senate, now is time to act.
If Congress wants to end the NEA’s reign of error, they only have to revise the terms of the charter — it is not a difficult task.
Congress granted the NEA’s federal charter originally in 1906 long before the agency was engaging in collective bargaining or political activities. The purpose of the charter was to “elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of education in the United States.”
Codified as Patriotic and National Organizations, other federal charter recipients include Big Brothers Big Sisters, the American Legion, the National Park Foundation, and the American Red Cross. These groups are intended to benefit American citizens and their interests — the NEA does neither.
The NEA today has completely strayed from its initial charter and is one of the least patriotic organizations in the country. The group is now a political machine, focused on progressive activism.
Its 2024–2026 Strategic Plan and Budget clearly spells out the goal of creating activists who “organize, build power, mobilize, and advocate for equitable policies.” Its vision is to “enhance success, justice, and equity in our nation’s public schools, and the well-being of all our students, parents, families, and communities.” Notably, there is no mention of improving educational attainment for students.
The NEA was also at least partially, if not fully, responsible for keeping schools closed longer than necessary during Covid. Based on a report issued in December by a U.S. House of Representatives’ subcommittee, the NEA used its political leverage to collude with the Department of Education, the CDC, and the Biden White House to keep schools closed. The report also noted the teachers’ unions yielded far more power than any other group in the country with regard to this issue.
It’s no surprise under a Democratic administration the NEA had so much clout and access at the highest levels of government. According to Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks election donations, the NEA in 2024 contributed over four million to campaigns with more than 98 percent spent on Democratic candidates.
No one believes for a moment that the NEA is a “patriotic” organization — it is a laughable assertion. Therefore, the only plausible solution is to revise their charter to reign in their activities and power.
According to the Freedom Foundation, a national think tank dedicated to fighting public sector unions’ corruption, it is imperative that the federal charter is revised and not repealed. The NEA was initially incorporated in the District of Columbia and still maintains that status; therefore, it does not actually need the federal charter to legally operate.
“Rather than repeal the NEA’s federal charter, Congress should amend the NEA’s charter to make the union less focused on partisan politics and more accountable to its members and the public.”
The concept is not new. Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) proposed a bill in 2023 known as the STUDENT (Stopping Teachers Unions from Damaging Education Needs Today) Act to reform the NEA charter. If that were introduced now with a Republican majority in both chambers, it might get the necessary traction.
The Freedom Foundation further explains in a comprehensive report that the NEA charter is shorter than most and “cedes to the union the ability to determine all substantive questions of its governance and operation through its own constitution and bylaws.”
The NEA’s ability to create its own governance structure grants them power that other federal charters do not hold and allows them to engage in highly partisan politics that have negatively impacted students and public schools.
The Freedom Foundation report includes seventeen recommendations to reform the NEA charter and subsequently limit its power and influence, including prohibiting engagement in electoral politics and lobbying, inspection of its corporate records, submit an annual report to Congress, fully repeal its D.C. property tax exemption, and require it to maintain a tax-exempt status.
These changes would return the organization back to its originally intended purpose and eliminate its ability to engage in partisan politics and left-wing activism. Without these reforms, the NEA can continue to use public tax dollars to support its highly political causes.
Our public education system is a mess and according to the latest data, the majority of students in our country are not proficient in reading or math — and no one, including the mainstream media, is disputing that fact. While the issue is complicated and there are many reasons for the staggering test scores, one thing is certain: the national teachers’ unions are not working to improve academic outcomes for children.
Congress has the power to rewrite the NEA charter — it may be the last chance to save our schools and our children.
Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.
