Blog

On the topic of school re-openings, when you look around at news reports – not national, but instead local news coverage around the country – it is DISTURBING to see the influence teachers’ unions have likely had on many school boards.
  

In Chicago, Los Angeles, D.C., Philly, and many more cities – there are countless local reports of powerful teachers’ unions that have stood in the way of schools reopening. Even up the road in Charlotte! This, despite CDC guidance that indicates schools should be able to return to in-person learning.

  
It’s like many of these unions aren’t even interested in what’s best for the students. Their default position seems to be, “We’re getting paid to not be in the classroom, so let’s drag this out as long as we can.” We’ve even seen some truly zany things coming from these unions, like the interpretive dance video from the Chicago Teachers Union – pictured here – encouraging schools to remain closed.

 
I think parents and taxpayers deserve to know to what extent, if any, a union has played in keeping children out of the classroom. So yesterday, I co-sponsored a new bill in the House that would require districts to disclose the negotiations they’ve had with their teachers’ union on this matter. It’s called the Students Before Unions Act, and would make federal COVID education funding contingent upon those full & public disclosures.
 
As time goes on, we’re likely to hear even more concerning reports about the efforts that teachers’ unions have gone through to keep students out of their classrooms. Every bit of it deserves to be exposed.