The Red Pen Podcast

Teachers union bosses are pouring members’ dues into politics, and the receipts are public.

On this episode of The Red Pen Podcast, powered by Americans for Fair Treatment, we follow the money ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

A new report shows the NEA and AFT sent more than $900 million to left-wing political causes since 2016, with roughly 99% of candidate giving going to Democrats.

Meanwhile, Randi Weingarten’s union tells the Department of Labor that only 15% of its time goes to political activity. We walk through how to look up union LM-2 filings yourself, including more than $1.4 million in dues reportedly tied to Weingarten’s book.

We also cover:

🔴 Texas AFT endorsing 115 candidates, every one a Democrat, as Weingarten campaigns for Gina Hinojosa, who wants to end Texas school choice

🔴 A new Buckley Institute poll on college students’ views of free speech, political violence and socialism

🔴 How Texas Education Freedom Scholarships can stack with the new federal school choice tax credit starting January 1, 2027

🔴 New AFFT data on the New Jersey Education Association, including a reported $40 million behind its own president’s failed run for governor

🔴 The New York Times fact-checking James Talarico’s “45 students” claim

🔴 Washington State ballot measures on the income tax, girls’ sports and parental transparency, and the union money fighting them

🔴 Manhattan Institute data on rising gender dysphoria diagnoses among Washington youth

🔴 Carnegie Mellon’s handling of professor Uju Anya

🔴 What’s in the Chicago Teachers Union’s latest LM-2

🔴 Undercover video from Accuracy in Media showing DEI still alive at the University of Iowa

Are you a public employee who wants to stop funding this? Under the Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision, you cannot be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Learn how to opt out and find affordable private liability insurance at mydues mychoice.org.

👉 Join Americans for Fair Treatment: https://afft.org
👉 Opt out of your union: https://mydues mychoice.org

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
2:14 $900M+ from NEA & AFT to left-wing causes
3:29 How to look up union LM-2 reports
7:08 Weingarten’s book and union dues
8:40 Texas AFT endorses 115 Democrats, Weingarten stumps for Hinojosa
10:26 Young Texas voter on school choice
11:50 Buckley Institute poll of college students
21:09 Texas school choice and the federal tax credit
25:51 New Jersey Education Association dues report
28:26 How to leave your union and get liability coverage
30:57 What does “fully funded” mean in Texas?
35:56 NYT fact-checks James Talarico
40:31 Washington State ballot measures
45:10 Gender dysphoria diagnoses among Washington youth
50:30 Carnegie Mellon and professor Uju Anya
59:14 Chicago Teachers Union LM-2
1:01:09 University of Iowa DEI undercover video
1:05:06 Wrap-up

#TeachersUnions #SchoolChoice #Janus #MyDuesMyChoice #Midterms2026 #AFFT #RedPenPodcast

In this episode of the Red Pen podcast, AFFT Senior Fellow Cory DeAngelis and Americans for Fair Treatment CEO Chip Rogers return after two weeks to discuss teachers’ union political spending.

They also discuss the new AFT LM-2 disclosures, including Randy Weingarten’s reported $550,000 salary, AFT’s claimed allocation of her time, and union-funded expenses tied to her book promotion and royalties.

They criticize union resources used for a get-out-the-vote bus tour backing Democrats and AFT/NEA spending to support Washington state’s income tax, arguing dues should support teachers rather than politics.

They also cover New York Gov. Kathy Hochul opting into a federal tax credit scholarship school choice program despite union opposition, highlight a Daily Signal op-ed on TSA union “official time” costs, and preview AFFT’s “Where Do Your Dues Go?” report on Kentucky showing heavily one-sided political donations and poor student proficiency.

They direct viewers to afft.org and MyDuesMyChoice.org to learn about opting out under Janus.

👉 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every other week!
Learn more: AFFT.org/opt-out

00:00 Welcome Back Live
00:34 Union Bus Tour Politics
02:56 Washington Income Tax Push
05:38 LM2 Salary Time Claims
08:49 Book Deal Money Trail
14:12 Hochul Backs School Choice
17:58 Debunking Union Talking Points
21:22 ICE Protest Clip Reaction
25:28 Penn Antisemitism Spin
28:16 TSA Union Official Time
31:48 Kentucky Dues Data Drop
35:28 Opt Out Final Call

NCLA attorneys Margot Cleveland and Jeanette Brown break down what's actually named in the landmark lawsuit against Nebraska's public school system — from gender identity discussions to anti-law enforcement messaging to climate fear-mongering.

As they explain, it's not confined to one classroom or one topic; it runs through the entire school day, every day.

🎙️ Watch the full episode of the Red Pen Podcast for the complete breakdown of the lawsuit, the legal precedent behind it, and what it could mean for parents nationwide.

📌 myduesmychoice.org / americansforfairtreatment.org

On this episode of the Red Pen podcast, Corey DeAngelis and Chip Rogers (Americans for Fair Treatment) interview former Georgia state representative Wes Cantrell about his book, "The Job I Never Wanted," and his experience leading school choice efforts in the Georgia House.

The conversation includes Cantrell's experience with rural Republican resistance, pressure from school superintendents, and a late-night ESA floor vote that failed after Speaker David Ralston allowed it on crossover day.

Cantrell recounts committee maneuvering, political backlash, and later developments as Georgia passed a limited ESA program with Gov. Brian Kemp’s involvement.

After the interview, Corey and Chip discuss:

- AFFT’s report on the Colorado Education Association’s spending
- Union political activity
- Randi Weingarten remarks
- Nikole Hannah-Jones’ regret over a costly failing NYC public school
- Alleged misuse of official emails for political campaigning in California and Massachusetts
- Concerns about TSA union time and collective bargaining issues.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
02:11 Book Launch and Backstory
05:09 Why School Choice Is Hard
07:12 Rural Pushback and Power
08:47 Georgia Choice History
12:54 Wes Discovers ESAs
14:11 Committee Roadblocks
16:14 Crossover Day Showdown
20:25 Vote Fallout and Pressure
23:44 Flyer Controversy Regrets
28:09 Kemp and New Speaker Shift
31:28 Bill Fails Then Passes
33:09 Georgia Choice Patchwork
34:01 Private School Hypocrisy
34:40 Westminster Storytime
36:22 Misha Mayner Fallout
37:39 Worst Night After Vote
40:27 Book Plug And Farewell
44:30 Colorado Union Money Trail
48:29 Weingarten Antisemitism Spin
51:31 Hannah Jones School Regret
01:01:04 TSA Union Time Fight
01:03:07 Rapid Fire Union Abuses
01:08:17 Wrap Up And Join AFFT