When School Children Start Paying Union Dues . . . That’s when I’ll start representing children

The Silent Crisis: How Teacher Unions Took Over—and Left Students Behind

March 26, 2025|, , , ,

Study after study shows turning our education system into a jobs program undermined American children’s futures.

By Concerned Educators Against Forced Unionism, March 25, 2025

Picture this: a classroom buzzing with potential, where bright-eyed students lean forward, eager to learn. Now imagine that energy dimming—test scores slipping, future earnings shrinking, and a generation left unprepared for a cutthroat global economy. This isn’t a dystopian nightmare; it’s the quiet unraveling of American education, a decline that’s tracked eerily alongside the rise of teacher union power. From the picket lines of the 1960s to the political juggernauts of today, unions like the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have tightened their grip on schools and lawmakers. But at what cost? Mounting evidence suggests that their dominance is dragging our students down—and it’s time we all paid attention.

The Power Play Begins

It started with a spark in 1962, when AFT president Albert Shanker led an illegal strike in New York City, igniting a wave of teacher unionization. By the 1990s, 37 states mandated union contract negotiations, and 22 required teachers to join or fund unions whether they wanted to or not. Today, with over 4 million members, the NEA and AFT rake in more than $200 million annually in dues—cash that fuels not just bargaining tables but a sprawling political machine. From school board elections to presidential campaigns, their influence is undeniable. As NEA president Mary Futrell once boasted, their strength lies not in classrooms but in “political action.” Shanker himself quipped he’d represent kids only “when they start paying union dues.” The message was clear: this was about power, not pupils.

The Student Cost of Union Control

Fast forward to 2019, when economists Michael Lovenheim and Alexander Willén dropped a bombshell. Their study, peering into the lives of students from union-heavy states, found a chilling trend: kids exposed to mandatory bargaining laws for all 12 school years earned 2% less annually as adults and worked half an hour less per week. Nationwide, that was a staggering $199.6 billion in lost earnings each year. Why? The researchers pointed to declines in cognitive and non-cognitive skills—think math, reading, grit—stunted by a system more focused on union contracts than student success. For boys and nonwhite students, the damage was even worse, widening gaps we can ill afford.

Dig deeper, and the picture darkens. A 1996 analysis by F. Howard Nelson and Michael Rosen found that students in bargaining states lagged on NAEP math and reading tests compared to peers where unions couldn’t strike and use students as bargaining chips. Meanwhile, Randall Eberts and Joe Stone’s 1987 work showed a cruel twist: while average students in union districts might eke out slight test-score gains, the brightest and the struggling students both suffered and fell behind. The kicker? Those modest wins came at a 15% hike in education costs—money that didn’t translate to better futures.

Stifling the Future

It’s not just numbers; it’s the stifling of change. Michael Hartney, in his 2022 book How Policies Make Interest Groups, paints teacher unions as the immovable object in education reform. When COVID-19 hit, union-strong districts dawdled on reopening classrooms, leaving kids to languish in virtual limbo—learning losses we’re still tallying, as reported by Chalkbeat. Back in 2014, the Vergara vs. California case spotlighted union rules like early tenure and seniority-based layoffs, arguing they trapped bad teachers in classrooms and hurt disadvantaged kids most. The courts balked, but the question lingered: who’s this system serving?

Take Wisconsin’s Act 10 in 2011, a rare crack in union armor. By slashing bargaining power, it sparked teacher turnover and salary dips—but also a 20% surge in top-tier college grads training to teach. Short-term test scores dipped, yet the shift hinted at a future with sharper educators. It’s a messy trade-off, but it exposes a truth: union rigidity can lock in mediocrity.

The Political Puppet Show

Then there’s the politics. With 1,500 “Uniserv” operatives and millions in PAC dollars, unions don’t just lobby—they dominate. In 1992, they helped propel Clinton and Gore to victory; today, they handpick school boards and drown out parent voices. Critics like Terry Moe of the Hoover Institution call it “staggering power,” a machine that crushes reform in its crib. When $200 million in dues flows to campaigns instead of classrooms, it’s no wonder innovation stalls—and students pay the price. (Teachers’ unions frequently stick taxpayers with the bill for their staff and officers’ salaries, a sneaky practice dubbed “union time” or “official time.” It’s high time we put an end to this taxpayer-funded union scheme.)

A Way Out?

The decline isn’t inevitable. Studies suggest non-bargaining states see fewer strikes—16.4 annually versus 46.3 in union turf from 1969-77—meaning less chaos for kids. No one opposes improving pay for good classroom teachers, but the teacher unions have exploded non classroom personnel and protect bad teachers, neither help improve education. The trick is balance—power that lifts students, not just teacher union dues and power.

The Clock is Ticking

America’s students are slipping—test scores falter, literacy wanes, and our edge in a tech-driven world dulls. Since 1983’s A Nation at Risk sounded the alarm, union power has only grown, and the correlation with educational stagnation should no longer be ignored. This isn’t about demonizing teachers; it’s about asking who schools are for – students or school employees? As Shanker’s legacy continues to loom over education policies, the evidence continues to mount: when unions call the shots, students often lose. Isn’t it time we rewrote the script?

End monopoly bargaining and so-called taxpayer paid “union time” now before more generations of Americans are forced into a mediocre education system.

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