Educator urges Illinois teachers to reject union pressure, politics and
coercion
[August 06, 2025]
By Catrina Barker
(The Center Square) – With the Illinois Education Association’s
mid-September opt-out deadline approaching, critics call for a permanent
opt-out option instead of yearly reaffirmation, arguing union influence
restricts school choice and teacher autonomy in Illinois.
Sarah Fletcher, a former charter school educator and now the Head of
School at White Horse Academy, a private school, said her own teaching
career trajectory was shaped by a desire to avoid union involvement
altogether.
“When we moved here to Illinois from Arizona, I had very little interest
in teaching at the public school,” Fletcher said. “Part of that was
because I didn’t want to be pressured into or have to be mandated to pay
dues. The IEA and IFT, which are part of larger organizations like the
NEA, use the majority of their funds not to represent teachers, but for
political advocacy.”
Fletcher said she founded White Horse Academy in part to provide a space
where teachers wouldn’t be required to hold state certification or
pressured into union membership. She says the high cost of dues isn’t
justified by what little teachers get in return.
“Oftentimes unions don’t advertise opting out is an option. I
experienced something similar in a different sector where there was a
union. I was heavily pressured into signing paperwork to pay union dues
and was basically told I had no choice,” said Fletcher. “Much of the
money from the dues collected fund political agendas, even opposing
public and private school options. For example, [state Rep.] Terra Costa
Howard, who wrote the homeschool bill HB 2827, received nearly $500,000
from teachers’ unions.”
According to Illinois Policy, Chicago Teachers Union members pay over
$1,400 in dues annually, but less than $149 is spent on representing
Chicago teachers.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Janus v. AFSCME on June 27, 2018 means
teachers nationwide are no longer required to be part of a teachers
union in order to keep their jobs.
According to Illinois Policy, by opting out of union membership, a
teacher stops paying dues but keeps all benefits provided in the
collective bargaining agreement. Employers cannot treat nonmembers
differently.
In a frequently asked questions section on their website, the Illinois
Education Association says they provide "an array of programs and
services designed to enhance the teaching profession and make sure that
education professionals always have an effective voice in the decisions
that affect their lives and their schools."
[to top of second column]
|
The Illinois Federation of Teachers says they are a powerful voice
on the job.
"Union workers have the right to negotiate with their employer over
things like wages, benefits and working conditions," a "10 Reasons
to Join a Union" flyer from IFT says.
Fletcher raised concerns about union influence over state
certification requirements and educational policy. She described
Illinois’ lack of charter schools and rigid teacher licensure
standards as signs of union control over education policy.
“When we moved to Illinois, we saw charter schools basically don’t
exist. You can’t have alternative education options,” said Fletcher.
“In Arizona, I worked at a classical school and teachers have more
autonomy over curriculum, yet it still received public funding.
Illinois unions hold strong political power and control who teaches,
what’s taught, and where money goes. For example, Illinois doesn’t
easily recognize out-of-state teaching certificates. This limits
educational diversity, leaving students with the same cookie-cutter
teaching and curriculum.”
Fletcher said she believes opting out once should be a permanent
decision until a teacher chooses otherwise, rather than requiring
annual reaffirmation.
“To me, if an organization lacks transparency and doesn’t clearly
lay out your choices, I’d leave. I don’t want to work somewhere that
tricks me into compliance. It feels deceptive when they don’t openly
advertise those options,” said Fletcher.
Marsha McClary, Lake County Chapter Chair of Moms for Liberty, said
the opting out process is backwards.
“I used to work in pharma, where we could opt in or out of things
like the company PAC. Many didn’t join, saying they’d rather donate
to candidates on their own. I think these contracts should have them
opt in to the union instead of opting out of the union,” said
McClary. “I think teachers should receive their benefits and legal
defense from one source, while political activities, like those
handled by a political action committee, should be separate with a
different process and payment system.”
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
