Corey A. DeAngelis Urges Teachers to 'Defund' Unions, Citing Political Influence and School Closures

Corey A. DeAngelis, a prominent school choice advocate and "school choice evangelist," recently issued a direct call via social media for educators to "defund the teachers union." The tweet, posted by DeAngelis, underscores his long-standing criticism of teachers' unions and their perceived negative influence on the American education system. This statement reignites the ongoing debate surrounding union power, school autonomy, and parental rights in education.

DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, the Reason Foundation, and the Cato Institute, has consistently argued that teachers' unions prioritize political agendas and self-interest over the needs of students and families. He frequently points to the prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic as a key example, asserting that unions resisted reopening efforts and used the crisis to extract concessions, a claim unions dispute, citing safety concerns.

The call to "defund" largely refers to teachers opting out of union membership and withholding dues. This mechanism was significantly bolstered by the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which ruled that public-sector employees cannot be compelled to pay union fees as a condition of employment. DeAngelis and other school choice proponents view this as a crucial step towards empowering individual teachers and reducing the financial and political leverage of large unions like the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Teachers' unions, conversely, argue that their collective bargaining power is essential for protecting educators' rights, ensuring fair wages, and advocating for adequate funding and resources for public schools. They maintain that the Janus decision and similar efforts to weaken unions are part of a broader political strategy to undermine public education and promote privatization. Union leaders contend that their actions during the pandemic were aimed at safeguarding the health of students and staff, not at political gain.

DeAngelis's advocacy is central to what he terms the "Parent Revolution," a movement pushing for universal school choice policies that allow education funding to follow students to the schools of their parents' choosing, whether public, private, charter, or homeschool. He believes that by empowering parents and reducing union influence, the education system can become more responsive and effective. This ongoing ideological clash highlights fundamental disagreements over the future direction and control of K-12 education in the United States.