Wisconsin State Representative Scott Fitzgerald has expressed concerns that the National Education Association (NEA) has shifted its focus from education to promoting a “progressive agenda,” prioritizing activists over students. He said that the STUDENT Act aims to limit the NEA’s federal charter, refocusing it on educating rather than “indoctrinating” children.
“The NEA long ago transformed from an educational association into a political machine, pushing a progressive agenda that puts activists ahead of students’ needs,” said U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wi). “The STUDENT Act reins in NEA’s federal charter, restores accountability, and demands a return to its original purpose: educating, not indoctrinating, American children.”
According to a press release, Fitzgerald and Senator Cynthia Lummis introduced the STUDENT Act to restrict the NEA’s federal charter. The bill seeks to redirect the union’s focus toward enhancing student learning and education quality across the United States.
The proposed legislation includes several changes, such as removing the NEA’s exemption from Washington D.C. property taxes and banning discrimination and hiring quotas. It also requires members’ consent for dues, prevents strikes, mandates U.S. citizenship for officers, enforces thorough recordkeeping, and prohibits promoting critical race theory. Established under a federal charter in 1906, the NEA has consistently supported progressive political causes, raising questions about its role within the education system despite its nonpartisan claim.
Senator Lummis said, “The NEA has exploited its federal charter to advance a radical political agenda that puts ideology before education.” She added that “Wyoming parents and teachers deserve better than a union that prioritizes woke politics over student achievement.” Lummis further criticized a resolution passed at the NEA Representative Assembly to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League due to its support for Israel, calling it “abhorrent” and ineffective in addressing rising antisemitic incidents nationwide. She emphasized that “federal charters should be reserved for organizations that serve patriotic, charitable, historical, or educational purposes – not for unions that push divisive and antisemitic ideologies.”
Fitzgerald represents Wisconsin’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He previously served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1995 to 2021 in roles such as Majority Leader and Minority Leader. He graduated from Hustisford High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. According to House.gov, Fitzgerald also served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 27 years before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
