Why should parents, employers and citizens become engaged in the governance of their public schools through the recruitment and election of school board candidates who will put students first? Because the Little Rock Education Association (LREA) and its parent Arkansas Education Association (AEA) and its parent National Education Association (NEA) are deeply involved at the local, state and national levels to support candidates who prioritize their members.

Attached below is the LREA Questionnaire for School Board Candidates for the most recent school election, in which the teachers’ union was credited with the election of two candidates.

In the entire five-page document, the word “student” is only mentioned once, and then, only in regard to school system morale:

“13. a) If you wished to obtain information about the condition of the school system regarding student, teacher and support personnel morale; the physical quality of the environment that exists for learning; the curriculum or any other school-related issues, to whom would you go?”

Nothing is asked about improving student performance, that most fundamental purpose for which board members are elected and teachers are employed.

What are the priorities of the LREA/AEA/NEA? That question is answered by their questionnaire (view PDF).