Where Does Your Teacher's Union Money Really Go?

The National Education Association (NEA), the biggest teachers' union in the U. S. , collects a lot of money from teachers' paychecks. This money is supposed to help teachers and students. But, where does it really go? A big chunk of it goes to politics. The NEA spends nearly $1 billion every election cycle. They support candidates and issues like charter schools and tax increases. But, they also fund causes that don't seem directly related to education. For example, in 2024, the NEA gave $300, 000 to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. This group supports gun control, climate change action, and racial justice. The NEA also gave money to the Tides Foundation, which has been linked to anti-Israel protests. They even funded a group called Win Without War, which wants to defund ICE, saying its agents cause violence.The NEA also spends money on things like policy briefings for black pastors, opposing standardized testing in Massachusetts, and promoting racial equity training and anti-gerrymandering measures in Ohio. But, is this really what teachers want their money to be spent on? The NEA gets its money from teachers' dues, which come from taxpayers. So, taxpayers are funding these political causes, whether they agree with them or not. This raises questions about how public-sector unions should use their power and money.