(The Center Square) – With the Illinois Education Association’s mid-September opt-out deadline approaching, critics call for a permanent opt-out option instead of yearly reaffirmation, arguing union influence restricts school choice and teacher autonomy in Illinois.
Sarah Fletcher, a former charter school educator and now the Head of School at White Horse Academy, a private school, said her own teaching career trajectory was shaped by a desire to avoid union involvement altogether.
“When we moved here to Illinois from Arizona, I had very little interest in teaching at the public school,” Fletcher said. “Part of that was because I didn’t want to be pressured into or have to be mandated to pay dues. The IEA and IFT, which are part of larger organizations like the NEA, use the majority of their funds not to represent teachers, but for political advocacy.”
Fletcher said she founded White Horse Academy in part to provide a space where teachers wouldn’t be required to hold state certification or pressured into union membership. She says the high cost of dues isn’t justified by what little teachers get in return.
“Oftentimes unions don’t advertise opting out is an option. I experienced something similar in a different sector where there was a union. I was heavily pressured into signing paperwork to pay union dues and was basically told I had no choice,” said Fletcher. “Much of the money from the dues collected fund political agendas, even opposing public and private school options. For example, [state Rep.] Terra Costa Howard, who wrote the homeschool bill HB 2827, received nearly $500,000 from teachers’ unions.”
According to Illinois Policy, Chicago Teachers Union members pay over $1,400 in dues annually, but less than $149 is spent on representing Chicago teachers.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Janus v. AFSCME on June 27, 2018 means teachers nationwide are no longer required to be part of a teachers union in order to keep their jobs.
According to Illinois Policy, by opting out of union membership, a teacher stops paying dues but keeps all benefits provided in the collective bargaining agreement. Employers cannot treat nonmembers differently.
In a frequently asked questions section on their website, the Illinois Education Association says they provide “an array of programs and services designed to enhance the teaching profession and make sure that education professionals always have an effective voice in the decisions that affect their lives and their schools.”
The Illinois Federation of Teachers says they are a powerful voice on the job.
“Union workers have the right to negotiate with their employer over things like wages, benefits and working conditions,” a “10 Reasons to Join a Union” flyer from IFT says.
Fletcher raised concerns about union influence over state certification requirements and educational policy. She described Illinois’ lack of charter schools and rigid teacher licensure standards as signs of union control over education policy.
“When we moved to Illinois, we saw charter schools basically don’t exist. You can’t have alternative education options,” said Fletcher. “In Arizona, I worked at a classical school and teachers have more autonomy over curriculum, yet it still received public funding. Illinois unions hold strong political power and control who teaches, what’s taught, and where money goes. For example, Illinois doesn’t easily recognize out-of-state teaching certificates. This limits educational diversity, leaving students with the same cookie-cutter teaching and curriculum.”
Fletcher said she believes opting out once should be a permanent decision until a teacher chooses otherwise, rather than requiring annual reaffirmation.
“To me, if an organization lacks transparency and doesn’t clearly lay out your choices, I’d leave. I don’t want to work somewhere that tricks me into compliance. It feels deceptive when they don’t openly advertise those options,” said Fletcher.
Marsha McClary, Lake County Chapter Chair of Moms for Liberty, said the opting out process is backwards.
“I used to work in pharma, where we could opt in or out of things like the company PAC. Many didn’t join, saying they’d rather donate to candidates on their own. I think these contracts should have them opt in to the union instead of opting out of the union,” said McClary. “I think teachers should receive their benefits and legal defense from one source, while political activities, like those handled by a political action committee, should be separate with a different process and payment system.”
