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Fall of the country's main education union: Thousands of members lost while promoting the leftist agenda

The NEA suffered a loss of more than 12,000 members in 2023 because it allocated 34% of its budget to ideological causes.

Joe Biden, durante la Reunión Anula de la Asociación Nacional de Educación (NEA) de 2021.

(AFP)

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One of the country's main educational unions suffered a considerable loss of members in 2023. Last year, more than 12,000 members left the National Education Association (NEA), as indicated in its latest report, at a time when the organization is prioritizing its constituents to participate more in political events and support more student demonstrations and protests.

The NEA is the nation's largest union, which "has affiliated organizations in every state and more than 14,000 communities across the United States." Around 3 million educational professionals are affiliated, and their mission is "to promote justice and excellence in public education."

The report, based on its economic balance for the past period, not only shows the decrease in the number of members. The NEA also reported that, during the 2023 school year, it donated $176 million of membership fees to political candidates and political causes, which represented 34% of its total budget, while the money allocated to so-called "representation activities" only accounted for 8%.

Leftist partisanship

These ideological causes to which the NEA granted funds from its affiliates are linked to different progressive organizations. For example, the union presented a check for more than $3 million to the Our Future Action Fund, which aims to advance "progressive power through voter engagement, issue advocacy, and community organizing," according to Fox News. It is aimed at promoting policies related to climate change and social justice.

Another association that received income from the NEA was Education International, which was awarded a check for $3 million. This entity also seeks to favor and promote left-wing measures.

It is common to see Democratic candidates giving conferences or rallies for the NEA. For example, in 2021 Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife, Jill Biden, were present at the union's annual meeting in which they gave a speech to the members present. A year later, Vice President Kamala Harris attended and, some time ago, former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Michelle Obama attended, thus clarifying the NEA's affinity and support for the Democratic Party.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden, during the 2021 National Education Association (NEA) Annual Meeting.

Increase in the union president's salary

After the setback suffered in its membership list, the logical thing would have been for the members of the union's management to reduce their salaries or, at most, maintain them from one year to the next. However, it didn't happen that way. In fact they decided to increase them.

The most representative case is that of the president of the NEA, Becky Pringle, who earned $46,250 more in 2023 than in 2022. She received $495,787.

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