The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Rebecca Friedrichs and other teachers sued the union over mandatory “agency fees” for collective bargaining, money they say goes toward political causes they oppose. Teachers can opt out of the union but still must pay these fees.
Teachers and their supporters gathered outside the court on Monday. CURE’s Star Parker, school choice advocate, was among the attendees who spoke.
“Our teachers need freedom. We need the Supreme Court to rule on behalf of the teachers to free them from these agency fees and from the union so that they will unlock the potential of our youth today that are trapped in failing government schools in the heart of our most critical communities, that the teachers will have the freedom to speak into the lives of these children. That they will have the freedom to use new and innovative ideas in this critical moment in our nation’s history…”
So many children have fallen behind, Star added, because of the teachers unions. Their interests are political and against the students they’ve been commissioned to help.