Dear Friends,
If you are a teacher who is not exactly pleased with the programs and agendas of the National Education Association (NEA) you ought to give some consideration to becoming a part of the Northwest Professional Educators. This article covers a lot of ground concerning the NEA and the battle here in Idaho to protect the freedom of teachers to not have their union dues used for political causes. If you don’t have time to read any other part of this, read their comments on the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to consider this important case.
http://www.nwpe.org/PDF_Files/VCA_Supreme_Court_Appeal.pdf
Thanks
Jim Hollingsworth
jimhollingsworth@verizon.net
Dear NWPE Members and Colleagues,
U.S. SUPREME COURT ACTION & NEA POLITICS
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 31 that it will review Idaho's Voluntary Contributions Act which was designed to prohibit payroll deductions for politics
(http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/338301.html).
The law had been challenged by the Idaho Education Association and ruled unconstitutional by the Idaho Supreme Court. NWPE issued a press release in support of the court's decision, which can be found here: http://www.nwpe.org/PDF_Files/VCA_Supreme_Court_Appeal.pdf
NEA Dues Promote Politics Unrelated to Education
The Associated Press recently reported that the last disclosure figures indicate that the National Education Association (NEA) spent $9.2 million last year lobbying Congress and federal agencies on a variety of issues. (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5656808.html)
One of the non-education issues that the NEA advocates is abortion on demand (http://www.ichoosecharity.org/why/abortion.php). The Family Research Council sent out an alert on March 28 that the National Education Association (NEA) "donated its facilities to an annual conference of the National Council of Women's Organization, a far-left group that counts among its members NOW, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, the National Abortion Federation, the Center for Reproductive Freedom, and others . . . Since the NEA's role in the event became public, the group has struggled to defend itself. When asked by pro-life members why it serves as a revolving door for abortion activists, one NEA official said that it has always allowed 'likeminded groups' to use the building."
Catholic Online quotes Marla Mercer, a West Virginia teacher and former member of the National Education Association "As a pro-life teacher, I can say this illustrates why I am no longer a member of the NEA. The NEA should not be involved in this issue; here they are hosting this controversial abortionist and his slideshow of babies he has aborted. There is no way any of my money will ever be used to advance the radical pro-abortion agenda of Planned Parenthood and the NEA."
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=27260
See You Tube video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=wpr_sN04j_0.
It has also been reported that the NEA allowed its headquarters to become a hospitality center for participants at an abortion rights march in 2004 in Washington and that NEA state affiliates, including its New Jersey group, sponsored buses to bring activists to the march.
Please note that NWPE is a nonpartisan organization and welcomes members with a variety of political views. NWPE does not engage in any non-education political advocacy with members' dues. NWPE believes that no teacher should be forced to fund non-education politics as a prerequisite for the right to engage in the local collective bargaining process and advocates for teachers' rights.
Please share this information with teachers and invite them to join NWPE for an organization that provides professionalism and protection without the politics. (Information about teachers' rights to not fund politics with union dues is available at http://www.nwpe.org/yourrights.htm.)
Warm regards,
Cindy Omlin
Executive Director
The Northwest Educators' Choice for Professionalism and Protection
www.nwpe.org
Northwest Professional Educators is a nonprofit, non-union, professional educators' organization focused on students as educators' highest priority and improving the professionalism of education. NWPE welcomes educators of any education entity including teachers, administrators and support staff, and provides members with liability insurance, legal services, professional development resources, teacher scholarships/classroom mini-grants, and a voice on education issues. NWPE is an affiliate of the Association of American Educators. http://www.aaeteachers.org/
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