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 The National Education Association’s delegates
called for mandatory masking, vaccinations and remote learning options during
their annual meeting July 3-6 in Chicago.
Delegates discussed new business item 37, which asks national leadership to
continue to support forcing COVID-19 policies on schools. The stance runs
counter to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
which moved to optional masking in schools in Spring 2022.
NEA isn’t the only teachers union wanting to take away personal or local choice
in favor of blanket COVID-19 policies. In January, the Chicago Teachers Union,
an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, went on strike for five
school days to impose its own policies regarding testing and remote learning –
again, against the expertise of public health leaders.
Chicago’s top health official and other large city schools saw no need to
suspend in-person learning. The walkout was the union’s third work stoppage in
27 months.
Union bosses too often use strikes to push public policy. CTU has taken to the
picket line or made demands regarding its social agenda on housing, immigration,
“restorative justice,” wealth redistribution and defunding the police.
Still, they are seeking more power through a change to the state constitution.
Voters on Nov. 8 will be asked to decide Amendment 1.
The proposed change to the Illinois Constitution is dubbed a “workers’ rights
amendment,” but in reality it would cement teachers unions’ influence over
Illinois public schools, students and parents. If government unions have the
backing of the state constitution, then lawmakers and local leaders would be
virtually powerless to stop their demands.
Amendment 1 includes a requirement to negotiate over not just traditional
subjects of bargaining, but also additional subjects such as “economic welfare”
and other union priorities. Teachers unions could bargain over a virtually
limitless array of subjects, keeping students out of classrooms until their
social agenda or other militant demands are met.
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The fight for control won’t end with compensation issues or COVID-19 policies,
although those union battles have already hurt students.
Chicago Public Schools parent Sarah Sachen has seen her kids struggle in the
wake of repeated school closures caused by CTU.
“When the union calls a strike, it impacts families financially, educationally,
socially,” Sachen said. “CTU wants to keep pushing and striking for demands not
even related to education and I don’t want the CTU to have any more power to do
that. Learning should not be impeded or stopped for the union’s political
games.”
The Illinois Federation of Teachers publicly registered support – twice – for
Amendment 1 when it was before the Illinois General Assembly. CTU did the same.
The past two years have shown how teachers unions use the power they have in
ways that don’t put students first.
And parents have responded.
Sachen, another parent and teachers are suing to stop Amendment 1 before it
gives teachers unions even more power.
Parents are pulling students out of Chicago Public Schools, with over 80,000
students in Chicago finding other education options.
Now, it’s up to voters to decide on Nov. 8 who should have more power in
Illinois: teachers union bosses or public health experts and parents.
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