Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) introduced the STUDENT (Stopping Teachers Unions from Damaging Education Needs Today) Act to reform the National Education Association (NEA) Federal charter and rededicate the organization to the pursuit of increased student learning and quality education in schools across America.
The bill adds accountability and transparency provisions commonly found in other federal charters to improve the NEA Federal charter, including:
- Notifying employees of their First Amendment right to refrain from membership
- Receiving clear and affirmative consent to membership and payment of associated dues
- Prohibiting the NEA from engaging in political activities and lobbying
- Requiring the NEA to submit annual reports to Congress
- Prohibiting NEA affiliates from harming students and families with school-shuttering walkouts
- Requiring NEA officers to be U.S. citizens
- Repealing a unique-to-NEA D.C. tax break
“Since receiving its federal charter the NEA has strayed far from its original purpose, becoming little more than a political machine masking as an advocate for public education and students. The organization’s massive political operation seems more interested in pushing a radical progressive agenda than advocating for student and schools,” said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05). “I introduced the STUDENT Act to rein in some of the worst practices to help make the NEA less divisive, more in line with other federally-chartered organizations, and more responsive to the needs to students.”
At a conference in recent years, the NEA voted down a business item to “rededicate itself to the pursuit of increased student learning in every public school in America,” but voted in support of the right to an abortion, supporting illegal immigration, and expanding professional development for educators to help create student Gender Sexuality Alliance clubs. The STUDENT Act will rightly hold the NEA accountable to students, parents, and schools.
“The Freedom Foundation applauds Rep. Fitzgerald for his proposed legislation to update and overhaul the National Education Association’s 117-year-old federal charter. The National Education Association is no longer a professional association. It’s not an advocate for quality education. It’s not even merely the largest teachers’ union in the country. First and foremost, it is a partisan political machine. But the futures of the millions of schoolchildren reliant on public education are far too important to be subject to the control and ideological extremism of the NEA. The innovative, practical reforms proposed by Rep. Fitzgerald would go a long way towards curbing the NEA’s most objectional conduct, refocusing the organization on its original and appropriate mission of improving America’s education system, and again making the NEA the kind of unifying organization that deserves a federal charter,” said Freedom Foundation CEO, Aaron Withe.
Full bill text here.
This bill has received the endorsement of Freedom Foundation, Heritage Action, Institute for the American Worker, Center of the American Experiment, Heartland Impact, Heartland Institute, Alaska Policy Forum, California Policy Center, Nevada Policy, Upper Midwest Law Center, Americans for Fair Treatment, Defense of Freedom Institute, and Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity.
