One of the powerful teacher’s unions, the National Education Association (NEA), voted to investigate opponents of critical race theory (CRT as it is named) on the organizational level. It allocated an initial budget of $56,500 for the investigative work on organizations such as The Heritage Foundation, which the NEA believes is bankrolling the parent-driven revolution against critical race theory in public schools.
The specific language passed by the NEA representative assembly was as follows:
“NEA will research the organizations attacking educators doing anti-racist work and/or use the research already done and put together a list of resources and recommendations for state affiliates, locals, and individual educators to utilize when they are attacked. The research, resources, and recommendations will be shared with members through NEA’s social media, an article in NEA Today, and a recorded virtual presentation/webinar.”
A special education teacher named Stephen Siegel, who works at Reynolds High School in the eastern Portland suburb of Troutdale, Oregon, proposed the idea. The proposal claimed that these “attacks on anti-racist teachers” are “coordinated by well-funded organizations such as the Heritage Foundation.”
The vote took place at their annual meeting, which was held online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Legal Insurrection reported on the vote, and also mentioned that a local NEA chapter in Rhode Island already investigated a local mother for her public records requests related to critical race theory in her school district.
The NEA, and by extension, the pro-critical race theory activists, ignore how the parent-driven revolution against critical race theory is not political, but crosses ideological lines with independent voters. By solely blaming conservatives for the public backlash and outcry at school district meetings, the NEA appears to be ill-prepared to meet this new challenge to teachers’ union authority in curriculum planning.
