{"id":2032813,"date":"2023-09-15T05:16:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T09:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-court-packing-to-climate-change-teachers-unions-push-progressive-priorities-as-test-scores-plummet\/"},"modified":"2023-09-15T05:20:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T09:20:50","slug":"from-court-packing-to-climate-change-teachers-unions-push-progressive-priorities-as-test-scores-plummet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-court-packing-to-climate-change-teachers-unions-push-progressive-priorities-as-test-scores-plummet\/","title":{"rendered":"Teachers&#8217; unions prioritize progressive issues like court packing and climate change while test scores decline."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffrom-court-packing-to-climate-change-teachers-unions-push-progressive-priorities-as-test-scores-plummet%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2032813&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>NEA,\u2064 AFT\u200c Harness Summer Gatherings to Amplify &#8216;Political Power,&#8217; Critics Allege<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Randi \u2064Weingarten (Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>As the summer season unfolded,\u200c the largest teachers&#8217; unions in the \u200bcountry, NEA\u200c and AFT, utilized their\u200d gatherings to not only \u2062prepare for the upcoming school \u2062year but also\u200c to advocate\u2063 for their political agenda, much to the \u200cdismay of their critics.<\/p>\n<p>During the \u2064NEA&#8217;s national conference in July, a\u200c series of &#8220;new business items&#8221; were unveiled,\u2064 which included urging President Joe Biden\u2064 to expand the Supreme Court \u200cand grant\u2062 asylum to all \u2062illegal migrants \u2062in order \u2064to &#8220;restore American\u200c democracy.&#8221; Shortly after, the AFT held its own summer \u200bgathering, where union \u2062leaders participated in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-amendments-would-cut-woke-progams-out-of-pentagons-proposed-budget\/\" title=\"GOP amendments aim to eliminate \"woke\" programs from Pentagon's budget.\">training sessions focused<\/a> on integrating climate change into teaching and affirming\u200c LGBTQIA+ identities in and out of the classroom. NEA President Becky Pringle, in her conference keynote speech, boldly called out politicians\u200b and pundits for their failure\u2063 to address gun violence and argued that America is fundamentally inequitable.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting that these unions&#8217; emphasis on\u200c left-wing\u200d politics \u200ccoincided with the release of the National Assessment \u2064of Educational Progress reports, which\u2062 revealed distressingly low student achievement scores. Proficiency in history\u2063 for eighth graders hit an all-time low, while reading and math scores for 13-year-olds plummeted \u2062to levels not seen in decades. Despite\u200b these\u2062 alarming statistics, NEA and AFT leaders dedicated a significant portion\u2064 of their time to discussing how\u2062 to inject liberal priorities into classrooms. This decision has\u200c left advocates for parental rights deeply concerned,\u2063 as it demonstrates that\u2064 the top teachers&#8217; unions are failing the nation&#8217;s children.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have witnessed the teachers&#8217; \u2062unions prioritize political power and \u200dinfluence for the Democratic Party over\u2063 advancing educational opportunities,&#8221; expressed a \u200bspokesperson for the Institute for Educational Reform to the Washington Free Beacon. &#8220;Unfortunately, it \u2062is the \u2064children who suffer the most when their education becomes the lowest priority on the agenda.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Both the NEA and AFT declined to\u200c comment when approached for a response.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to court packing and citizenship for \u2064illegal immigrants, the \u2064NEA&#8217;s\u2062 July &#8220;business items&#8221; also included a \u200bcall for teachers to\u2064 raise awareness about\u200b the struggles faced by the Palestinian people.\u2063 According \u200bto a document obtained by RealClearEducation, many educators are unaware\u2064 of the existence of Palestine. Furthermore, the NEA&#8217;s\u2062 policy statements, developed for its July convention, \u200breaffirmed\u200b the union&#8217;s strong support for\u200b affirmative action\u200b in employment.<\/p>\n<p>A month prior to the \u2063convention, the\u2062 union\u2064 released a gender identity &#8220;toolkit&#8221; that \u2063instructs teachers to avoid assuming pronouns and argues that using \u2064incorrect pronouns is unsafe for\u200b gender diverse individuals. It also emphasizes\u2063 an intersectional\u200b focus on racial\u200b justice \u2064as \u2062part of \u200dthe union&#8217;s commitment to\u200d practicing anti-racism.<\/p>\n<p>AFT President Randi Weingarten also dedicated a significant portion of her summer to engaging in liberal political issues. In July, she \u2062called for a &#8220;general strike&#8221; in Israel following the passage of a judicial \u2063reform bill, pledging the union&#8217;s unwavering support for the bill&#8217;s critics.<\/p>\n<p>When discussing the issue\u200d of learning loss in schools, Weingarten primarily focused on defending her role\u2064 in prompting it. During her \u200bcongressional testimony in April, she portrayed \u200dherself as a staunch advocate for school reopenings, claiming that she had been tirelessly working towards that goal since February. However, \u2062it is worth noting that Weingarten had \u200cpreviously criticized the push to reopen schools in 2020, labeling it as reckless, callous, and cruel. Subsequent\u2062 studies have shown that \u2063remote learning had a detrimental impact on academic achievement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The disastrous era of school closures has taught us \u2063that\u200b teachers&#8217; unions prioritize\u2063 their own political agendas and power over the math skills and reading proficiency of America&#8217;s \u200dstudents,&#8221; remarked Michele Exner, the Director of Federal Affairs at \u200cParents Defending\u200b Education, to the \u200dFree Beacon.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200cNEA and AFT&#8217;s left-wing advocacy has often trickled down to their local \u2064chapters. For instance, the Portland \u200bAssociation of Teachers, affiliated \u200cwith the NEA, has \u2063threatened to strike if their district refuses to provide subsidized housing for \u2063underprivileged families and advocate for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/portland-teachers-threaten-school-shutdown-if-their-district-declines-to-provide-subsidized-housing\/\" title=\"Portland teachers threaten school shutdown over lack of subsidized housing.\">expanded rent control<\/a>, among \u2063other measures deemed to be for the common good. Similarly, the Oakland Education Association,\u200c another NEA affiliate, submitted a proposal calling for reparations \u200cfor black students, an expanded environmental justice curriculum, and a significant reduction\u200c in testing. The union argued that these measures would \u200dcontribute to the creation of truly joyful, safe, \u200cand\u2062 racially just schools where everyone can \u2064thrive and where equity\u200c is at the forefront of decision-making.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Are the NEA and\u200b AFT justified in their \u200bargument that promoting diverse perspectives and inclusive teaching practices is necessary to address systemic inequities, or\u2062 should \u2063teachers primarily focus \u200don providing quality\u2063 education and preparing students for academic success<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ent Randi Weingarten,\u2064 in her own gathering, stressed\u2063 the importance of addressing climate change in the classroom and advocated\u2064 for comprehensive sex\u2062 education, including discussions of LGBTQIA+ identities. She argued\u2063 that these topics are essential to creating inclusive and safe learning\u2062 environments. However, critics argue\u2063 that these unions are prioritizing political ideologies over the well-being and academic success of \u2064students.<\/p>\n<p>Amidst the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-court-packing-to-climate-change-teachers-unions-push-progressive-priorities-as-test-scores-plummet\/\" title=\"Teachers' unions prioritize progressive issues like court packing and climate change while test scores decline.\">ongoing debate surrounding critical race\u200b theory<\/a>,\u2062 the NEA and \u2062AFT\u2063 have come\u2064 under scrutiny for their role in promoting it. Some critics\u200c argue\u2063 that these unions are\u2063 advocating\u2064 for a \u200bdivisive and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/splc-labels-parents-as-perpetrators-of-hate-gets-white-house-welcome\/\" title=\"SPLC accuses parents of hate, receives White House reception.\">ideologically driven curriculum<\/a> that focuses\u200d on \u200cidentity politics rather than on core academic subjects. They argue\u2063 that students should be taught objective historical facts and \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/remember-we-are-the-majority-here-are-ideas-on-what-we-can-do-moving-forward\/\" title=\"Remember We Are the Majority \u2013 Here Are Idea\u2019s On What We Can Do Moving Forward\">critical thinking skills<\/a>, rather than being indoctrinated with a specific ideology.<\/p>\n<p>In response to these criticisms, NEA and AFT leaders argue\u2064\u2062 that their unions are committed to social justice\u2062 and equality, and that promoting diverse perspectives and inclusive teaching practices is vital for creating\u200d equitable learning environments. They maintain that their advocacy\u2063 is necessary to address the systemic inequities and discrimination faced\u200d by marginalized communities.<\/p>\n<p>However, opponents of the unions argue\u2063 that teachers should focus primarily on teaching academic subjects and fostering critical thinking skills, rather than advocating\u2063 for specific political \u200dagendas. They argue\u2063\u2064 that students should be provided with a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in the workforce and in\u200b civic life, rather than being influenced by the political biases of \u200deducators.<\/p>\n<p>The debate over the role of teachers&#8217; unions in shaping educational policy and promoting\u200c political agendas is likely\u2064 to continue. Proponents argue\u2064 that teachers have a right and a responsibility to advocate\u2064 for social change and address issues \u2064of injustice and inequality. Critics, however, maintain that \u200cthe primary focus of teachers and unions should be on providing \u200bquality\u200c education and preparing students for academic success.<\/p>\n<p>As the NEA and AFT continue to utilize their gatherings as platforms for \u2063advocating\u2064 their political agendas, the question remains\u2064 whether these unions are truly prioritizing the best interests of the students they represent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Education Association (NEA) urged its members to use their &#8220;political power&#8221; to push for progressive policies, while the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) discussed similar topics at their summer gatherings. Critics argue that instead of focusing on improving student achievement, these unions are prioritizing their political agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2088,"featured_media":2032814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2032813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2088"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2032814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}