How One Man Helped 200 Leave Teachers Union | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the John Locke Foundation. The author of this post is Brittany Raymer.

    The Indiana teachers union is fewer 200 members, after investigative journalist Tony Kinnett has been a lifeline and a guide to those wanting to leave. Should members of North Carolina's teachers' union, the NCAE, consider doing the same?

    When it comes to priorities, students are seemingly on the lowest end of the list for teachers unions. During the COIVD-19 pandemic, the American Federation of Teachers actively tried to keep students out of the classroom to supposedly protect teachers, even after most of the danger had passed and students' grades were slipping.

    It was all about protecting the unions, their progressive ideals and some of their most ardent members, not helping the students they are charged with educating.

    But as it turns out, when there's an opportunity, some teachers are more than willing to cut ties.

    This is what Kinnett discovered as he helped 200 teachers leave the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA), which he calls "a pyramid scheme (that) charges Indiana teachers $1,000 per year to lobby for progressive political goals at the state and national level-while claiming to be integral in salary negotiation and legal defense."

    It started off with a small effort. At the time Kinnett was a teacher himself and saw the negative reaction to the ISTA's pitch at a teachers meeting. He then helped a fellow teacher get out of their union dues by sending the district payroll officer an email sharing that they no longer wanted to contribute.

    It just grew from there, and he's now helped 200 people leave the teachers unions.

    And though the ISTA still boasts a membership of 40,000, there are growing indications that many teachers are opting out of such union relationships.

    When it comes to North Carolina, it has its own teachers union, the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).

    The John Locke Foundation believes that this organization's sole focus isn't students but protecting public educators and education.

    For those interested in leaving the NCAE and regaining control over a portion of their paycheck, check out LeaveNCAE.com.