Hey, Teachers’ Unions, Let’s Get This One Right – No Early Presidential Endorsements & Lots of Membership Engagement | gadflyonthewallblog

Hey, Teachers’ Unions, Let’s Get This One Right – No Early Presidential Endorsements & Lots of Membership Engagement | gadflyonthewallblog

Hey, Teachers’ Unions, Let’s Get This One Right – No Early Presidential Endorsements & Lots of Membership Engagement

Let’s not mince words.


The last Presidential election was a cluster.

And we were at least partially to blame for it.


The Democratic primary process was a mess, the media gave free airtime to the most regressive candidate, and our national teachers unions – the National 
Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – endorsed a Democratic challenger too early and without getting membership support first.


This time we have a chance to get it right.



Edu-blogger Peter Greene spoke my feelings when he took to Twitter:



“Just so we’re clear, and so we don’t screw it up again—- NEA and AFT, please wait at least a couple more weeks before endorsing a Democratic Presidential candidate for 2020.”

He’s being snarky.



No one would endorse two years before people actually enter a voting booth.



But fairness. Evenhandedness. Moderation.


Let’s be honest. That didn’t happen in 2015.



So let’s take a brief trip down memory lane and review our history for just a moment in order to prevent these same mistakes.



The NEA represents 3 million educators. It is the largest labor union in the country. However only about 180 people made the decision to back Hillary Clinton last time around.



In October of 2015, the NEA Board of Directors voted 118 to 39 in favor of the endorsement with 8 abstentions and 5 absences.



The 74 member PAC Council voted to endorse Clinton with 82% in favor, 18% against CONTINUE READING: Hey, Teachers’ Unions, Let’s Get This One Right – No Early Presidential Endorsements & Lots of Membership Engagement | gadflyonthewallblog