Free Republic

School choice and the plague of the public school indoctrination mills .. Media bias and school choice .. The leftist indoctrination of American school children ... is at the root of most of the ills that plague this country... Republican politicians paid lip-service to education reform and — in typical GOP fashion — left it at that. As part of his efforts to introduce a spine into Republican politics, President Trump has set his sights on the Death Star, aka the Department of Education (DoE). .. The teachers' unions are the root of all evil in this battle. ... Labor...

Congressional Republicans will unveil a bill Wednesday aimed at revoking the federal charter of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest labor union in the United States, the Daily Caller has learned. Republicans Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee will introduce the National Education Association Charter Repeal Act in their respective chambers, aiming to sever the union from its congressional ties, a congressional aide told the Caller. Founded in 1857, the NEA received its charter from Congress in 1906 and now represents over 3 million educators nationwide. However, Harris said that the NEA has...

As veteran public school teachers and longtime members of the National Education Association teachers’ union, we believe deeply in the transformative power of education — to inspire empathy, build bridges and create safer, more inclusive communities. That’s why we were appalled by the NEA’s recent decision to adopt a measure that would prohibit use of educational materials from the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL’s “No Place for Hate” program, a student-led program aimed at fostering schools free from hate and bias, has been implemented in more than 2,000 schools across the country. It has made a measurable, positive impact on school...

The nation’s largest teachers union faced ridicule this week for misspelling “fascism” in a resolution opposing President Trump. The National Education Association (NEA), which represents more than 3 million teachers nationwide, approved the mangled proposal – aimed at defending “the survival of civilization itself” – on Sunday at the group’s annual convention. “NEA pledges to defend democracy against Trump’s embrace of fascism by using the term facism [sic] in NEA materials to correctly characterize Donald Trump’s program and actions,” read the adopted agenda item, obtained by conservative education expert Corey A. DeAngelis, who shared it on X. “The members and...

The National Education Association has voted to break with the Anti-Defamation League, seeking to end a decades-long partnership on fighting antisemitism while offering more evidence that defenders of Israel may no longer have a home on the progressive left. Delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly approved Sunday a proposal to prohibit the nation’s largest teachers’ union from using, endorsing or publicizing educational materials from the ADL, as well as its data, programs and professional offerings. “Educators embrace the urgency to respond to the questions of racism, injustice, and all forms of bigotry,” said the resolution called New Business Item 39....

(The Lion) — A well-regarded education watchdog has published a raft of alarming resolutions adopted by the National Education Association at its latest national assembly. They include a measure that encourages resistance of federal immigration enforcement and another that mandates labeling President Donald Trump a fascist in all union materials. Senior Fellow at the American Culture Project Corey DeAngelis obtained a copy of the NEA’s recently passed resolutions and posted them to X. “I just received a copy of the National Education Association’s resolutions that they passed at their annual convention,” said DeAngelis. “They kept them private this year.” It’s...

The largest teachers union in America has voted to cut all ties with the Anti-Defamation League — which called the move “profoundly disturbing” as antisemitic attacks in the US are at a record high. The National Education Association, which is also the US’s largest union with more than 3 million members, approved a proposal Sunday to drop the ADL as an education partner, accusing the New York-based Jewish civil rights group of using the term antisemitism to punish any and all criticisms of Israel. “Allowing the ADL to determine what constitutes antisemitism would be like allowing the fossil-fuel industry to...

Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has drawn widespread attention for his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America and what some see as antisemitic rhetoric. But beyond the headlines, it’s the education platform Mamdani champions that could pose the greatest threat to New York City families — especially those striving to access better schools and brighter futures for their children. At the core of Mamdani’s approach is an unambiguous rejection of school choice. He opposes vouchers, charter school expansion, and even co-location policies that allow high-performing charters to operate in underutilized public school...

Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) president Stacy Davis Gates said on Monday that “all children belong to” the union. At the City Club Chicago event, Gates bashed President Donald Trump for lessening the power of teachers’ unions, calling his education agenda a “relitigation” of the Civil War while complaining about the failing state of Chicago schools. Quoting civil rights activist James Baldwin, Gates tells the crowd, “The children are always ours. Every single one of them, all over the globe.” Gates then mocks parents who would respond by saying “CTU thinks your children are its children.” “Yes, we do,” Gates said....

Radical leftist agitators are planning a series of coordinated demonstrations across New Mexico on June 14, targeting President Donald Trump with what they’re branding as “No Kings” protests. But what organizers portray as “peaceful protests” have all the hallmarks of the kind of far-left mob activity that has already sparked violent insurrections in places like Los Angeles, where criminal aliens and anarchists recently clashed with federal law enforcement officers. The so-called “50501 Movement”—standing for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement—has aligned with fringe progressive groups to launch what they claim is a “nationwide day of defiance” against Trump’s leadership, coinciding...

A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a block on an executive order from President Donald Trump that seeks to strip union rights from federal workers at dozens of agencies and offices. Trump in March issued an executive order that said that parts of the United States Code that protect federal workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain would no longer apply to agencies including most or all of the Departments of Treasury, Defense, Veterans Affairs, State and Justice. The executive order covers about two-thirds of the federal workforce, according to the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which filed a...

Trump’s proposed budget follows his attempts to reshape the nation’s arts landscape and defund institutions.President Donald Trump’s budget proposal would eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, reviving his failed first-term attempts to scrap the grantmaking agencies as he moves to reshape the nation’s artistic and cultural landscape.The proposed cuts come even after the NEH slashed its workforce and the NEA canceled grants in compliance with Trump’s directives to reduce the federal workforce and shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The tentative budget plan also targets the Institute of Museum and Library...

DOGE: While teachers scrape by, union "executives" like Randi Weingarten gorge themselves on salaries nearly eight times higher, raking in close to $600,000 a year. They neither teach a single child nor train a single teacher. They are not educators, they are parasites, draining a system they pretend to serve. ... She also flies in a private jet.

‘Congress should not be operating as business as usual… Colleagues of mine should not be able to go to church or to go to the neighborhood gas station…’ While plotting upcoming protests, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., urged demonstrators to target congressmen at church. “Folks, colleagues of mine should not be able to go to church or to go to the neighborhood gas station — if they pump their own gas, because I work with a lot of billionaires,” Ramirez said. “They should not be able to, without seeing community asking them ‘What the hell are you doing [for] my Social...

A new bill requires parents to report themselves to their local school district, and parents who do not will be considered truant.. Homeschool parents would face fines, misdemeanor charges and even jail time if they do not report themselves to local public school officials, under a new proposal from Illinois Democrats. Parents also would be required to provide public school officials with a “portfolio” of their children’s work at any time, at any interval and frequency, until that portfolio meets the public school’s satisfaction. The bill, dubbed the “Homeschool Act,” requires parents to report themselves in writing to local school...

More than half of fourth graders nationwide have not mastered reading at a proficient level for their grade, and the share of students considered proficient is now 2 percentage points lower than two years earlier, new data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows. “The data shows that the majority of the nation’s school systems have failed to master effective reading instruction, ignoring not only how it should be taught (e.g., proven science) but also the importance of engaging students with rich content and literature that stimulates the mind and ensures that vocabulary and comprehension increase,” Center for Education...

A New Jersey law that removes a requirement for teachers to pass a reading, writing and mathematics test for certification will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The law, Act 1669, was passed by Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as part of the state’s 2025 budget in June in an effort to address a shortage of teachers in the state... Individuals seeking an instructional certificate will no longer need to pass a “basic skills” test ... Just months earlier, Murphy signed a similar bill into law that created an alternative pathway for teachers to sidestep the testing requirement....

‘Why is it that all we hear from CTU is demands for more, but we never hear anything from the union about what its members owe the taxpayers (and parents) of this city,’ city newspaper asks Chicago public school teachers continue to demand high raises – despite 41 percent of them being deemed “chronically absent” from work. The Chicago Tribune editorial board recently criticized the Chicago Teachers Union, which continues to negotiate for a new contract. Initial versions had demanded free abortions, transgender surgeries, and even weight loss drugs. State records show 41 percent missed 10 or more days of...

Six Department of Education employees used “forged permission slips” to take their own kids and grandchildren to Disney World and on other city-funded trips meant for homeless students, investigators alleged. The secret perks robbed some of the city’s most disadvantaged kids of a chance to enjoy the Magic Kingdom — a trip that cost $66,000 for 50 or so adults and kids, a staffer said — and other multiple-day trips in 2016 to 2019 to Washington, D.C; New Orleans; Boston; upstate Rocking Horse Ranch Resort; and Frost Valley YMCA campground, according to a newly released report by the Special Commissioner...

Imagine dropping your child off in this man’s classroom, and there’s nothing you could say or do about it. Imagine walking into a supposedly professional environment and seeing a man dressed in women’s clothing and knowing this delusional weirdo is the person entrusted with teaching your child how to read and write. But it’s not just reading and writing and math. No, this is the kind of teacher who boasts about teaching your child “how to sissy that walk,” all while you’re paying taxes to fund this circus. Imagine your child, confused by their surroundings, asking questions about the rainbow...