By Jim Brown
September 8, 2003

(AgapePress) - Just days into the new school year, leaders with the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are being accused of attempting to scare educators into joining their organizations.

The two unions are reportedly telling teachers that the professional liability insurance programs of the California-based Christian Educators Association International and other professional groups are substandard. But the executive director of the Christian Educators Association, Forrest Turpen, says the unions' claims are absurd.

According to Turpen, the NEA, AFT, and many local school districts fail to inform teachers that they do not have to join the union within 30 days to avoid termination. He points out that teachers have other options.

"They may choose to ask that all their money be given to charity -- that information isn't given to them. They can ask that none of their money be used for political purposes, and that they can get a return of about 25% of their dues money," Turpen says.

The Christian Educators Association leader is calling for legislation in every state to clarify the rights of teachers. He wants individual states to mandate that school districts provide teachers with complete information about alternatives to union membership. However, Turpen says chances are slim that such a bill would ever pass in his own state.

The CEAI's director says California's legislature is extremely liberal and has been "bought by a lot of money flowing in through the union." Consequently, Turpen says, "our legislators have to pay off -- their payoff is to vote for the unions' legislations."

Turpen believes the NEA and AFT's actions are motivated by a thirst for more money and power. He says the CEAI is not proposing anti-union legislation, but rather pro-teacher legislation.

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