For decades,theNational Education Association (NEA) thecountrys largest teachers union has amassednearly unrivaled political power with which to pursue its own narrow self-interest and impose its radical social and economic agenda.COVID-19 placedtheNEAunderthemicroscope as never before, offeringtheunion an opportunity for some much-needed introspection. In 2021,theWall Street Journaleditorial boardproclaimedwhat informed conservatives have long known and what, by that time, had become obvious tothepublic at large:TheNEAis "theideological and institutional vanguard of progressive politics," a "powerful wing oftheDemocratic Party," and intenton"invading" public schools with "progressive politics."But instead of abandoning its partisan special interests and returning to itsearly missionof "[promoting]thecause of education intheUnited States,"theNEAemerged fromthepandemic determined to double downoneveryone of its harmful, misguided beliefs and ideologies.TEACHERS UNION REVEALS TRUE COLORS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AT ANNUAL CONVENTIONTheNEAs annual Representative Assembly, held this month in Portland,generated headlinesandmockeryas copies ofthecontroversial resolutions approved bytheunions delegates were leaked tothepublic, including everything from attacking democratically elected President Donald Trump as a "fascist" to underminingtheenforcement of our immigration laws and, in a brazen display oftheunions antisemitism,cutting tieswiththepro-Jewish Anti-Defamation League.Whilethegrowing public outcry overtheir extremism ledtheNEAto stop making its convention resolutions publicly available,thedizzying array of woke material freely availableontheunions website is even more shocking.For instance, some ofthe"important" documentspostedonlinefor attendees attheNEAs Portland convention included: a "Pronoun Guide" claiming that people who do not habitually sharetheir pronouns are "unsafe"; a byzantine "Land Acknowledgement Guide" directing readers to fight "colonization" by reminding attendees at any event ofthe"dispossession of Indigenous land and people"; and aformto submit complaints totheNEAs "CommitteeonEquity & Ethnic Harmony" should any conference attendee breach social justice protocols.PARENTS MUST STAY ALERT AS PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIDE LIFE-ALTERING DECISIONS FROM FAMILIESMore concerning wastheNEAsnine-page "report"for convention delegates highlightingtheunions priorities andactivities inthefirst half oftheyear. Among other things,theunion boasted about: "takingthelead in filing lawsuits" againsttheTrump administration; fighting efforts to defund DEI in public schools; shuttering schools with strikes; fighting "authoritarianism" and engaging in "resistance" by supportingthe"No Kings" rally and similar protests; backing "World Pride and LGBTQ+ Pride Month"; organizing "labor opposition" to immigration enforcement; and working to "flip"theU.S. House of Representatives to Democrats in 2026.Notably absent fromtheunions achievements? Improvingstudentlearning, promoting family values or using tax dollars efficiently.If this is what happens whenNEAcompletely controls an event and its programming,theunions tremendous influence over classrooms is a five-alarm fire not just for public education, butthefuture of our country.Congressionalaction addressingthepernicious influence oftheteachers unions is long overdue. Thats why I (Mr. Fitzgerald) and Sen. Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming have introducedtheStopping Teachers Unions from Damaging Education Needs Today (STUDENT)Act, which would overhaultheNEAs federal charter to makethe union more accountable and less partisan.MY VISION FOR ELIMINATING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONTheNEAreceived afederal charterbyactof Congress in 1906, granting it special recognition shared byonly 95 organizations, including such storied American institutions astheBoy Scouts,theU.S. Olympic Committee andtheVFW company whichtheNEAno longer deserves to keep.Congressional Republicans have long proposed addressingtheNEAs ideological extremism by repealing its federal charter. But astheFreedom Foundation explained in a2023 report,theNEAincorporated underthelaws oftheDistrict of Columbia long before receiving its federal charter, meaning it would continue to exist and operate as it does now even if stripped of its special federal recognition.TheSTUDENTActtakesa different approach, rewritingtheunions charter rather than repealing it.According totheFreedom Foundationsanalysis,theNEAs charter lacks many ofthesafeguards and accountability mechanisms common in other federal charters intended to ensurethechartered organizations remain uncontroversial, patriotic and deserving of federal recognition.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONUndertheSTUDENTAct,theNEAwould have to abide bythesame rules as other federally chartered entities, such as refraining from partisan political advocacy and abiding by corporate transparency requirements.Thelegislation also addresses some oftheworstNEApractices unique to its status as a labor union, requiring it to respect teachers First Amendment right to refrain from union membership, prohibiting it from closing schools with damaging strikes, barringtheunion from advocating forthecore concepts of critical racetheory, and more.Perhaps most importantly,theSTUDENTActwould end direct and indirect taxpayer subsidies fortheNEAand its affiliates aroundthecountry.Conservatives recognize thatthetime foraction is now, with more than 30 organizations aroundthecountry endorsingtheSTUDENTAct.Republicans in Congressscored a huge winfor education freedom withtherecent passage of school choice tax credits intheOne Big Beautiful BillAct.Butthenext step in making public education great again should be takingontheNEA.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. SCOTT FITZGERALDCLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM AARON WITHE