Union Endorsement = Aligned with Union Priorities (Not with Parents, Teachers, or Taxpayers)

We previously covered what it means for the union to influence school board races, and we've also covered the political priorities of the union (that have nothing to do with your child's academic achievement.)

We've written about how the teacher's union negotiates salaries on behalf of WCASD teachers, yet our teachers are making less than their counterparts in other parts of the county.

Newsweek's essay, titled, Nation's Largest Teacher's Union Doubles Down on it's Progressive Agenda, chronicles that parents were not mentioned at all at the recent NEA conference, but progressive ideology was front and center.

While the union claims to represent teachers, many teachers are far more conservative than the union to which they belong. A 2017 national survey found that 57 percent of teachers identify as Republicans or Independents, yet the union focuses entirely on progressive ideology. In fact, this USA Today article challenges teachers to leave the union:

"Remember when labor unions used to fight for higher wages and better working conditions? Today, they seem more interested in advancing a political agenda than their members’ interests."

When school board candidates (you know who you are) accept political donations from the union, those candidates are beholden to political agenda of the union. The union's priorities are above all else, meaning that students, parents, taxpayers, and teachers are NOT a priority. Politicizing your child's classroom -- via the election of union-endorsed school board candidates -- is the priority.

The average teacher spends nearly $1000 in annual dues to the union, but only 7 percent of dues collected by the NEA gets directed towards assisting union members. (Whereas 80 percent of dues collected goes towards political donations, with 94 percent of those donations going to Democrats.)

The union will tell you that they negotiate teacher salaries, yet when the district budget increased by $10 million, teacher salaries increased by only $1000. (And that $1000 was then handed over by each teacher directly to the union via union dues.)

The message is clear: teachers who are not politically aligned with the union need to quit the union, and candidates who are endorsed by the union should not be elected to the school board.

Back to Basics candidates will never accept a union endorsement, nor will we accept union donations. Our candidates believe that parents are partners in their child's education, not part of the problem.