Virginia teachers’ union calls tip line an intimidation tactic

The Virginia teachers’ union remains on the attack, despite growing evidence that Virginia parents and voters are tired of union-backed school policies.

The Virginia Education Association, the state chapter of the National Education Association union, blasted new Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin for establishing a tip line for concerned parents on education curriculum. Youngkin’s tip line was mobbed by internet trolls and critics, but it did not dissuade the union from criticizing it as an example of “divisive practices.”

VEA president James Fedderman said, “This hotline has done nothing but created chaos and division throughout the Commonwealth. It’s designed to intimidate educators who are just trying to do their jobs.”

For the record, the VEA claims 40,000 teachers among its membership.

But the VEA, and other unions, do not recognize that parents have legitimate concerns about education curriculum and school policies. There have been viral videos of teachers ranting against Republicans and conservatives in classroom settings, in addition to parent-driven protests against mask mandates and school shutdown policies during the coronavirus pandemic.

The tip line is one way for Youngkin to fulfill a campaign promise, which was to hold education bureaucrats and teachers accountable for teaching the left-wing ideology Critical Race Theory in classrooms. For teachers’ unions, it is a direct threat against the status quo, where public schools dominate the education landscape without transparency nor accountability to taxpayers.

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