Sunlight has detailed how the NJEA is training teachers to become political activists to push for truly radical education policies at the school district level – such as teaching about transgenderism and what can only be described as critical race theory to 1st graders.  When New Jersey parents – already fed up with prolonged school closures – speak up and seek to influence what is being taught to their children, the NJEA labels them as “extremists” and urges teachers to use its “reporting tool” so that the NJEA can investigate and do background checks on these parents.

Now the NJEA is even running TV and internet ads claiming that these parents are “extremists” only want to “fight to score political points” and that they should “take that somewhere else.”  Where else should they take it?  School boards are elected by their local communities, mostly made up of the parents of schoolchildren.  It is entirely proper for parents to speak up at school board meetings if they disagree with the district’s education policies.  That’s what school board meetings are for.  

Even more concerning is the fact that the NJEA is urging teachers to take a side against parents.  It is engaging in a statewide campaign urging teachers to select and support school board candidates in opposition to parents who are running for school board to effect policy changes.  The NJEA wants to keep control of education policies and curriculum choices, which are matters of local politics.  So whether it is training teachers to become local political activists or pushing teachers to get involved in school board elections, it is the NJEA that is injecting politics into our schools.  

And it is the NJEA seeks to place teachers in opposition to parents.   This cannot be good for schools, students, parents or teachers.  Now the NJEA is using its taxpayer-funded war chest to run ads that will only turn up the heat.  The NJEA is all-in for fighting local political battles and trying to use teachers against parents.