NEA LEADERS OBSTRUCT EFFORTS THAT WOULD END ENDORSEMENTS OF NRA-BACKED POLITICIANS.
Trisha Connolly and Clare Kelly are teachers and members of the Illinois Education Association and the National Education Association. Both were elected delegates to the state and national Representative Assemblies. They wrote this in reaction to NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia’s statements about gun violence in the wake of the Dayton and El Paso mass shootings.
We’ve endured 255 mass shootings involving assault rifles already this year and the NEA leadership (National Educator’s Association) continues to defend funding and endorsing of candidates who promote the NRA’s agenda.
We presented New Business Items (NBI’s) at the NEA National Representative Assembly (RA), this summer and last, calling on the NEA to not endorse candidates who’ve solicited or taken NRA money.
The NEA is the largest union in the nation and as such the NEA has the potential and muscle to impact legislation to stem the flow of assault rifles in our communities. To most this seems like a no brainer – the largest educational association in the country would, of course, take a firm stand to not fund candidates who promote the proliferation of assault rifles in our neighborhoods, especially in light of all the school shootings.
Not so.
NEA leadership strategized aggressively against these NBI’s both years. They didn’t CONTINUE READING: NEA leaders obstruct efforts that would end endorsements of NRA-backed politicians. – Fred Klonsky
