We Are Proud of the Enemies We Make

By universal consent, the most powerful force in Minnesota politics is the teachers’ union, Education Minnesota. In my opinion, Education Minnesota is the state’s number one source of evil. My organization, Center of the American Experiment, has been fighting for years to counter the teachers’ union’s malign influence.

We are the only effective challenge to their power. Among other things, we have exposed the fact that the union spends much more money on left-wing politics than on representing its members. We have also exposed the fact that, contrary to myth, Minnesota’s public schools can fairly be described as failing their students.

So Education Minnesota hates us. Yesterday, it sent out this missive to its members and, I suppose, friends and supporters. First the image, then excerpts:

Education Minnesota is alarmed about the fact that this year, for almost the first time, there are meaningful school board races across the state. Until now, the union has basically appointed the school boards that it has controlled and with which it has “negotiated.” But now, a revolution is under way, led by the Minnesota Parents Alliance.

Origins of conservative, anti-union forces in school board races

Investigative reporting by the St. Paul Pioneer Press…

The Pioneer Press article was a good one. I wrote about it here.

…has revealed the origins of the Minnesota Parents Alliance, which is even more closely related to the Center of the American Experiment than many thought.

After two tours of Minnesota presenting its incorrect and inflammatory view of critical race theory in 2021…

Education Minnesota is the local chapter of the National Education Association, which has enthusiastically endorsed the teaching of critical race theory in the public schools. Needless to say, the union offers no instance of anything in our many programs being incorrect. And what was inflammatory was not our programs, but the union’s introduction of racism and anti-Americanism into the schools.

…the CAE decided in early 2022 to create a 501(c)(4) social issues group…

Is the quality of public education now a “social issue”? The Left consistently describes it that way.

…to recruit and train candidates for school boards.

CAE President John Hinderaker recently wrote on his blog that the intent was to pull together Minnesota parents to “wrest control of the public schools away from teachers’ unions, in order to improve the quality of education and to stop left-wing indoctrination.”

That sums it up well. Education Minnesota refers to this Power Line post, and I thank them for quoting me correctly.

That group became the Minnesota Parents Alliance, which has recruited and trained school board candidates throughout the state. The group has endorsed about 120 candidates in the November election.

Correct again! On one side, the most powerful and well-funded special interest group in the state. On the other, concerned parents with almost zero resources. I am betting on the parents.

The [Center of the American Experiment] is the most potent advocate in Minnesota for school vouchers…

Thank you! I think there is a good chance that Minnesota’s new legislature, when it convenes in January, will enact real, meaningful school choice, due in large part to our efforts. For many years Education Minnesota, like George Wallace in the 1950s, has stood in the schoolhouse door, blocking a brighter future for minority kids. That is about to end.

…whitewhashing history lessons…

That is code for occasionally talking about something other than slavery.

…loosening environmental protections…

I don’t know what they are thinking of here. To be fair, we have come out against blocking dairy farm expansion based on cow flatulence supposedly affecting global temperatures. Maybe that is what they have in mind.

…breaking unions…

We are fine with private sector unions, but do indeed want to destroy the corrupt power of public sector unions, chiefly Education Minnesota, which has done more to harm Minnesota’s children than any other institution.

…and lowering taxes on millionaires and corporations.

Typical left-wing dishonesty. Actually, we want to lower taxes for all taxpaying Minnesotans, but the far left can’t admit that without shattering its fantasy world-view.

It runs an annual campaign, Educated Teachers, to encourage Education Minnesota members to leave their union.

Indeed we do! And I am happy to say that our efforts meet with growing success. For the first time ever, as far as I know, Education Minnesota has reported declining revenue and declining membership. Why would a normal teacher want to spend his or her hard-earned money to funnel political contributions to candidates with whom he or she may or may not agree? The deep corruption of Education Minnesota has been exposed, and its power is waning.

If you want to help our fight against entrenched power, you can go here to support American Experiment and here to support Minnesota Parents Alliance.