During the COVID-19 pandemic, before teacher unions agreed to return to the classroom, many created a list of demands that were not related to education or, at times, COVID-19.
In Florida, teacher union groups advocated for school districts to require students to wear masks and were open to the idea of supporting vaccine mandates for students. However, with grades falling to 30-year lows, parents are starting to pay attention to what local school districts and the teachers’ unions are proposing for students.
“School districts and teachers unions across the country enter a new round of contract negotiations, one thing is clear, parents are increasingly alarmed to discover that many collective bargaining agreements—which should be focused on wages, working conditions, and student achievement—are instead being used to embed divisive ideology and sidestep parental rights,” said Paul Runko, director of strategic initiatives in K-12 programming for DefendingEducation.org.
Runko stated that teacher unions across the U.S. are pushing for activist agendas when negotiating their labor contracts. To address this, the group Defending Education is advocating for three key priorities to be included in future collective bargaining agreements:
So to change things around, the group Defending Education wants three constructive priorities to be included in future collective bargaining agreements:
1. Affirm Federal Title IX Law as Originally Written
Title IX was passed to protect students and staff from sex-based discrimination in education. It is a civil rights landmark—designed to ensure that girls and boys alike have equal access to academic and scholastic athletic opportunities. But in recent years, this statute has been stretched far beyond its original meaning.
Teachers’ union contracts should affirm a clear and accurate interpretation of Title IX. That means protecting all students from harassment while also safeguarding the integrity of women’s sports and the rights of students to maintain sex-separated spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms.
2. Respect the Right of Parents to Opt Out of Gender and Sexuality Content
In Mahmoud v. Taylor, parents challenged a school district over its refusal to let families opt out of instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary classrooms. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of religious parents’ right to opt their children out of such controversial instruction.
Future collective bargaining agreements should affirm this simple principle: Religious parents have the right to opt their children out of age-inappropriate or controversial instructional materials—especially those related to LGBTQ+ ideology in grades K-5.
Defending Education says it’s not discrimination. It’s respecting parental authority to direct the education and upbringing of their children.
3. Guarantee Parental Notification and Opt-Out Rights for Student Surveys
Runko notes that too often, schools administer invasive surveys to students with questions on sexual activity, drug use, mental health, and religious beliefs—without ever informing parents. This violates federal law (namely the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment) and erodes trust between families and schools.
“Collective bargaining agreements should require that school districts notify parents in advance of any non-academic surveys and provide them with a clear and easy way to opt out. Such a provision would build transparency and ensure schools remain accountable to the communities they serve,” said Runko.
