Teachers union spent nearly $8M to crush school choice, biological sports measures, report finds
The country's largest teachers union and its affiliates poured nearly $7.8 million into ballot fights across three states in 2026, as internal documents outlined strategies to target voucher programs and other conservative initiatives, according to Defending Education (DE).
Key points
- WATCHDOG REPORT EXPOSES TEACHERS UNION 'POLITICAL MACHINE' FUNNELING MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO LIBERAL CAUSES The grassroots group found that in the first two quarters of 2026, the Protect Education, Accountability Now PAC received $7,075,438.33 from the Arizona Education Association and the NEA for an anti-school choice campaign.
- "I also think that they've become much more political and much more ideological than they used to be." UNEARTHED FILING SHOWS LARGEST TEACHERS UNIONS POURED OVER $900 MILLION INTO POLITICAL ACTIVITIES The financial findings in DE's report show the union's spending on political fights across the country.
- 13, 2026, post on NEA Today, the union's blog, claimed that "voucher expansion is re-segregating schools by race and income and reflects a policy rooted in resistance to school integration." However, Sanzi told Fox News Digital that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what school choice actually means.
The proposition was approved and will require all schools and athletic associations to restrict access to private spaces and sports participation based on biological sex.
Additional details
- DE said in its report that "the PAC appears to be run and operated by the president of an NEA local affiliate – Kyrene Education Association." Fox News Digital was unable to independently confirm whether the PAC and the Kyrene Education Association share leadership.
- Beyond the contributions detailed in the report, the NEA has made its opposition to voucher programs, arguing that they take away resources from public schools and have racist origins.
- She said that instead of talking about education, the union has become focused on issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, climate change and gender ideology, among others.
- DE senior director of communications Erika Sanzi, a former teacher and NEA member, told Fox News Digital that the union has shifted towards politics over the years.
- "I 100% believe that the union has done a lot of damage and continues to do a lot damage," Sanzi told Fox News Digital.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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