NEA, Trump, and Fascism

At the 2025 National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon, the nation’s largest teachers union passed a resolution condemning Donald Trump and aligning itself against what it termed “fascism.” But the resolution went viral for all the wrong reasons—because the NEA misspelled “fascism” twice as “facism.” Critics pounced, and what might have been a serious political statement turned into a national punchline.

The NEA resolution declared that “the members and material resources of NEA must be committed to the defense of the democratic and educational conditions required for the survival of civilization itself” and pledged $3,500 in resources to support education against “facism.” The intent was clear: the union was signaling that Trump and his allies represent a threat to democracy and education. But the message was undermined by the basic literacy failure of the very educators tasked with teaching students how to spell.

The resolution passed in a closed-door session, as part of a growing trend among major unions to explicitly engage in anti-Trump activism. It also included language opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and called for support of “mass democratic movements” in response to Trump’s possible return to power. Further, the NEA reaffirmed its decision to disaffiliate from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), citing concerns about the ADL’s stance on policing and Palestine.

The backlash was swift. Conservative pundits and right-wing lawmakers ridiculed the resolution’s spelling errors and denounced its political content as extremist. Representative Jim Walsh called it “hysterical slander” and mocked the NEA’s failure to meet even minimal professional standards. Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich said the NEA’s mistake exemplifies why many Americans believe public education is failing. Corey DeAngelis, a leading advocate for school choice, declared the situation “too rich to parody.”

The episode lit up right-wing media. The New York Post ran multiple pieces lampooning the union’s politics and literacy. Fox News accused the NEA of pushing a radical political agenda under the guise of professional development. Critics from across the political spectrum asked: how can educators credibly combat fascism if they can’t spell it?

But spelling errors aside, the deeper issue is the NEA’s increasing politicization in an already polarized era. While some educators and progressives cheered the resolution as a necessary stand against authoritarianism, others worried it would damage public trust in the profession and provide more ammunition for anti-union and school privatization forces.

The NEA has long walked a tightrope between its role as a labor union and as a political actor. In the Trump and post-Trump era, that tightrope is fraying. By elevating its political messaging—especially when done sloppily—the NEA risks alienating moderate members, energizing conservative opposition, and undermining its own credibility as a steward of public education.

This latest controversy may not be the NEA’s last misstep in an increasingly volatile political climate. But it is a cautionary tale. To confront genuine threats to democracy and education, unions must do more than pass resolutions. They must build trust, demonstrate competence, and articulate a vision that unites rather than divides. If they can’t even proofread their own declarations, the fight against fascism may start with a dictionary.

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Sources
National Education Association, Resolution NBI 79, 2025 Representative Assembly
New York Post, “Largest US teachers union mocked for misspelling 'fascism' in anti-Trump agenda item,” July 10, 2025
Fox News, “Teachers union reveals true colors behind closed doors at annual convention,” July 11, 2025
The Free Press, “NEA Teachers' Union Goes All In on Politics—And Spelling Errors,” July 11, 2025
WBZ News Radio, “Largest US Teachers Union Misspells ‘Fascism’ While Bashing Trump,” July 11, 2025
Yahoo News, “Social media erupts as nation's largest teachers union misspells 'fascism' in anti-Trump statement,” July 12, 2025

SUNY and CUNY Faculty Support HELU Statement of "Unity for the Future of Higher Education"

Three Executive Committees for the faculty governance bodies of the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) today pledged their strong support for the “Statement of Unity for the Future of Higher Ed,” which was issued by Higher Education Labor United (HELU) and eleven national unions, from AFSCME to NEA to SEIU to UAW, that represent campus workers. These three Executive Committees, which lead and represent

● the SUNY University Faculty Senate (SUNY UFS), the system-wide shared governance organization for SUNY’s state-operated and statutory campuses (Keith Landa, President);

● the SUNY Faculty Council of Community Colleges (SUNY FCCC), the system-wide shared governance organization for SUNY’s community colleges (Candice Vacin, President); and

● the CUNY University Faculty Senate (CUNY UFS), the system-wide governance organization for CUNY’s 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, and seven graduate, honors, and professional schools (John Verzani, President); released the following joint statement:

We endorse the HELU “Statement of Unity for the Future of Higher Ed” and urge SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr., CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, SUNY Board of Trustees Chair Merryl Tisch, CUNY Board of Trustees Chair William C. Thompson, Jr., and Governor Kathy Hochul to join the American Federation of Teachers, the American Association of University Professors, nine other national unions, United University Professions, SUNY UFS, SUNY FCCC, and CUNY UFS in calling on the Harris/Walz campaign (and, indeed, all presidential candidates and campaigns) to commit to investing in public higher education like the public good it is.

We urge Chancellors King and Matos Rodríguez, Chairs Tisch and Thompson, and Governor Hochul to call on the New York State Congressional delegation to set an example by uniting to maximize federal investments in SUNY and CUNY; expand student access to, and the affordability of, public higher education; and enhance working conditions and worker protections on every campus.

We urge Chancellors King and Matos Rodríguez, Chairs Tisch and Thompson, and Governor Hochul to make New York State the national leader in college affordability and in advancing the mission of public higher education. We encourage Governor Hochul to take the national stage with the boldest Executive Budget proposal for SUNY’s 64 campuses and CUNY’s 25 campuses in New York State history in State Fiscal Year 2026 (SFY26).

SUNY UFS, SUNY FCCC, and CUNY UFS will be proposing SFY26 Executive Budget Resolutions for approval at our Fall 2024 Plenaries. The proposed resolutions will lay out our case that increased state support for each SUNY and CUNY institution is needed to promote student access and success, to make SUNY and CUNY the world-class public higher education systems that they can be, and to super-charge regional economic and workforce development. We pledge to continue building broad public support for SUNY and CUNY on the ground that these public higher education systems advance the public good by transforming our students’ and patients’ lives and future prospects.

To that end, SUNY UFS, SUNY FCC, SUNY, and CUNY are organizing the national conference Public Good U: Strengthening the Case for Public Higher Education in Albany, February 7-9, 2025, and encourage all stakeholders to attend.