Last week, the Alabama Republican Party moved to block “woke” state and national teachers’ unions from influencing school-related elections.
The Alabama GOP voted to ban teachers’ unions from donating to school-related election campaigns to prevent the unions — specifically, the National Education Association and the Alabama Education Association — from influencing state policies.
John Wahl, chairman of the Alabama GOP, said, “The Alabama Republican Party is leading the charge to decrease the influence of the NEA and their associate groups over school systems.”
“The new Standing Rule passed by an overwhelming majority at 68% to 32% and is similar in style to a lot of what Governor DeSantis has been doing in Florida to stop woke policies in our classrooms,” he added.
State Republicans supported preventing candidates running for the Alabama Board of Education, local school boards, and county school superintendent from receiving campaign funds from national and local teachers’ unions.
Wahl told the Daily Signal that the rule change is a step forward in protecting parental rights and preventing the unions from seizing control of children’s education.
“There’s only one purpose that these education unions exist, and that’s to lobby for their facet of the education system,” Wahl stated. “There’s only one reason school boards and superintendents exist, and that is to put forth the policies that regulate the school systems, so it’s a direct conflict of interest.”
Wahl explained that the “liberal” NEA is pushing “woke” and “progressive” material that is “indoctrinating our children.”
He assured that Republican candidates would be backed by the state’s party.
“Our candidates are not going to have to worry about any missed funding in the general elections. We’re going to have their back. We’re going to make sure no missed money and we’re going to win every one of these seats we can possibly win,” Wahl told the Daily Signal in response to concerns that the policy could allow Democrat candidates to have a funding advantage.
Wahl further explained that the policy change is “just one piece of the puzzle” in preventing woke materials from taking over the education system.
“It’s going to be a long, hard process to really get our education system back where it needs to be, and I think, hopefully, this moves us in that direction,” he added.
AEA executive director Amy Marlowe previously called the Alabama GOP’s claims “irresponsible.”
“It is irresponsible of [Alabama GOP] Chairman John Wahl to make false accusations of the Alabama Education Association’s standards and mission,” Marlowe said. “The ‘A’ in AEA stands for Alabama – and we take pride in Alabama’s values. Our voluntary membership comprises almost 90,000 Alabamians, with 72% identifying as conservative Republican voters.”
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