After years of working to dismantle diversity programs, ban books and rewrite classroom curriculum, conservatives are converging on a new battlefront in their push to overhaul public education: teachers’ unions.
This spring, a right-leaning think tank called the Freedom Foundation launched the Teacher Freedom Alliance as a free, national membership program meant to incentivize public educators to jump ship from traditional teachers unions.
The group, which is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, encourages teachers to instead take advantage of its $2 million liability insurance, professional development training and curriculum resources, including recommended learning from PragerU, a conservative group that produces free video content “upholding Judeo-Christian values.” The group is structured as a nonprofit, so it doesn’t have to disclose its donors.
The group says it already has 13,000 members in Texas. Last month, Withe brought on former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to helm the effort. Walters drew bipartisan criticism during his Oklahoma tenure for his advocacy for teaching the Bible in public school classrooms.
I’m sure that membership won’t stay free. I’m sure that they will nickel and dimed by fees, fines, and membership “upgrades”.
And I see nothing about helping teachers get fair and generous compensation, retirement, health care options, nor addressing the school shooting problems plaguing Texas schools … just being brainwashed through PraguerU.
Absolutely. It’ll probably be run by a bribe-oriented director who will not do anything for teachers, but keep them in line when they want to strike for better pay or hours.
