Dallas, TX — At the Teacher Freedom Alliance’s fourth annual teacher summit last week, Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe took direct aim at the growing gap between teachers unions’ priorities and the educators they claim to represent.
“I don’t think 250 years ago our founding fathers ever would have envisioned some union head, like (American Federation of Teachers President) Randi Weingarten, taking millions of dollars in union dues and using them to personally promote and profit from a book she wrote warning about the pitfalls of fascism,” Withe said. “And I certainly don’t think that the Founders ever envisioned those same unions would be advocating for men in women’s sports, for the elimination of Israel or pushing pornography to educate middle schoolers. But that’s what the teachers unions are about.”
From union spending and political activism to controversial policies being pushed in schools, Withe made clear the fight for freedom in education has never been more urgent.
“Make no mistake, this is the agenda of the teachers unions — socialism, even communism in America. They want a society that is totally reliant on government for every facet of their lives.” Withe warned.
“Look at (New York City Mayor Zohran) Mamdani. He’s the tip of the iceberg for what these guys want. These are the type of politicians they want to elect people who will put power in the hands of government and out of the hands of you guys. But there’s hope,” he said. “The hope is sitting in this room.”
The Teacher Freedom Alliance, a division of the parent Freedom Foundation, was created to give educators a practical alternative to union membership. The Teacher Freedom Summit provides its members a yearly opportunity to network with other disgruntled teachers union members to share stories and discuss strategies for aiding coworkers who might be interested in
Withe said the event brings together educators who love freedom and their country and are committed to making a difference.
This year’s summit, held July 14-16 in Dallas, drew hundreds of educators from across the country to attend 65 breakout sessions and offered nearly 19 hours of professional development — including a fireside chat with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and a keynote from Erika Donalds.
Read the full recap of the summit here.
“The bottom line is, none of it matters if we — if the people in this room — aren’t going out and making a difference,” Withe concluded. “You’re the ones on the front lines. You’re the people who can change this from the bottom up. It comes from ordinary people standing up and saying no.”
Watch Withe’s full speech here.
