Teachers’ union spent 2x as much on politics compared to spending on members

The National Education Association — the country’s largest teachers’ union — prioritized political spending over member representational expenditures, according to its most recent annual federal LM-2 filing reported on by the Washington Examiner.

Politics over members’ needs

The NEA spent twice as much ($66 million) on what it self-reports as “Political Activities and Lobbying” compared to “Representational Activities” from Sept. 2020 through August 2021. Another nearly $118 million was spent on “Contributions, Gifts, and Grants.” A good amount went to left-wing political organizations, including groups who then funnel donations to support Democratic candidates.

Of the union’s $374 million budget (excluding investment purchases and fixed assets), political activity spending accounted for 18 percent and “contributions, gifts, and grants” totaled 32 percent, according to an analysis of the numbers by Americans for Fair Treatment.

Only nine percent went toward representational activities.

“The National Education Association’s political and charitable spending in 2020-2021 makes the NEA look more like a political organization than a membership organization,” Americans for Fair Treatment told the Washington Examiner. “The union spent $2 on politics for every $1 it spent on representing its members.”

This past summer, the NEA publicly embraced Critical Race Theory and approved promoting its use in all K-12 public schools across the country.

If you are a Minnesota dues-paying teacher, you pay dues to the NEA. If you no longer wish to financially support the union’s political agenda, you can learn more about opting out of union membership here. There are also non-union education associations available that offer double the liability coverage that the NEA offers at a fraction of the cost of dues. (Minnesota union members pay around $1,000 in annual dues.)