In July 2009, the National Education Association's General Counsel, Bob Chanin delivered a shocking speech that outlined the true priorities of the NEA: money and power. The claims were met by thunderous applause by the union leadership and members in attendance and these revelations generated significant commentary throughout the blogosphere.

"Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas; it is not because of the merit of our positions; it is not because we care about children; and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power. And we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year..."

These words speak for themselves.

If the NEA believes it is only "effective" when it has money and power, the goal of the NEA will be to accumulate money and power. In fact, if the NEA focuses on generating creative ideas, defending meritorious positions, advocating for children, or envisioning great public schools at the expense of money or power, they make themselves less effective, according to Chanin's claim.

Also, many of those who are paying dues to the NEA are not "willing" but required to do so by law (read more about Forced Unionism). In fact, one of the key components of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget repair bill—which the unions vehemently opposed—ended the practice of forced dues. Teachers in Wisconsin can now decide for themselves if they are "willing" to fund the NEA. They can determine whether or not the union aligns with their professional ethics and their family budget.

There are thousands of teachers who do not identify with this rhetoric of power and money first. AAE urges teachers everywhere to make informed decisions when spending their hard-earned dollars.

Watch the video and let us know what you think.

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