Republican legislators plan to propose legislation aimed at revoking the federal charter of the National Education Association (NEA) due to concerns over its political focus.
Representative Mark Harris from North Carolina and Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee announced on Tuesday that they will introduce the National Education Association Charter Repeal Act in their respective chambers. This bill seeks to eliminate the federal charter of the largest teachers’ union in the country.
This move comes in response to reports from the NEA’s recent annual meeting, which suggested that the organization is prioritizing politics over educational matters.
Harris expressed his belief that the NEA has morphed into what he described as a “partisan advocacy group.” He pointed to various issues, from “branding Trump” to addressing “divisive gender ideology” and anti-Semitism, claiming that the NEA no longer focuses on the well-being of students, parents, or teachers. “It’s time to remove the seal of Congressional approval from this fraudulent organization,” he added.
He also confirmed the introduction of the bill on his X account and mentioned that ten other House Republicans are co-sponsoring it.
Education activist Cory DeAngelis recently highlighted a resolution from the NEA that included numerous political stances against former President Donald Trump. Notably, one item contained a misspelled mention of “fascism,” which sparked some discussion about the organization’s characterizations of Trump’s policies and actions.
Additionally, another resolution labeled the Department of Education as “an illegal, anti-democratic, racist attempt to destroy public education and privatize it for the benefit of billionaires.”
Harris and Blackburn have both been contacted for further comments, and it’s worth noting that attempts were made in 2022 by GOP lawmakers, including Wisconsin’s Scott Fitzgerald and Indiana’s Jim Banks, to strip the NEA of its Congressional charter.
