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A new program from the Teacher Freedom Alliance gives teachers the option to opt out of unions.
“The Freedom Foundation has been helping government employees opt out of their unions on a national scale since 2020,” Aaron Withe, CEO of the Freedom Foundation and president of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“Since then we’ve seen the largest decline in union membership in U.S. history, most notably, the NEA has lost over 200,000 members,” Withe continued. “However, the teachers’ unions still have a monopoly on professional services, such as liability coverage, curriculums, and professional development credits.”
A 2022 report featured in The Lion said that the country’s top four public unions, which include the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers, have lost over 200,000 members since the Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision.
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The antidote to this problem, Withe said, is offering resources to teachers that give them the benefits of a teachers’ union, without the politics.
Officially launching the teachers’ arm in March, the Teacher Freedom Alliance is a separate entity supported by the Freedom Foundation.
The resources include dues-free membership for teachers and education staff, $2,000,000 liability insurance for “protection and peace of mind,” alternative curricula specially made for various subjects and grades, and professional development hours and credits.
“The Teacher Freedom Alliance is the alternative to the teachers’ unions,” Withe said. “We assist teachers in their mission to develop free, moral and upright citizens. We are doing this by providing professional services.”
Since the launch in March, Withe claimed they have had over 2,500 teachers become members.
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And recently, the group hosted a conference for over 400 teachers in Washington, DC.
The group said that are “changing the culture of education” by advancing “traditional education values” instead of politics.
Promotional materials for the organization state the group is “activating historically silent educators—giving them the confidence & community to stand for what’s right,” and “providing superior resources compared to the NEA & AFT.“
Stacy Adair is one of the original teachers that joined the Teacher Freedom Alliance. Adair has been teaching for twenty years as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and works with students in kindergarten through 5th grade at Wilson Elementary School in the Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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She told Fox News Digital in a statement that she can’t say enough good things about the organization.
“The Teacher Freedom Alliance is exactly what I’ve been hoping for without even knowing it,” Adair said. “Common sense and conservative teachers finally have a voice, and the TFA is offering us professional development, camaraderie, and support. I can’t keep quiet about it; I’m constantly spreading the word in my district, my town, and my state!”
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