National School Boards Association Learns the Hard Way

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Remember when the National School Boards Association (NSBA) colluded with the Justice Department to label parents concerned about Critical Race Theory (CRT) in classrooms as “domestic terrorists?” Turns out that may have been a bad idea. The association is learning the hard way that bullying parents can result in a hit to the wallet.

Attorney General Merrick Garland (Photo by Tom Brenner-Pool/Getty Images)

NSBA Gets Spanked

The NSBA received a vicious backlash after its letter to the DOJ was revealed, in which it requested that Justice step in ostensibly to address threats issued against members of school boards supporting CRT in the classrooms. The anger boiled over when people found out the organization had communicated with the DOJ before sending the letter. The leadership was forced to issue a statement apologizing for this SNAFU, but the damage, as they say, was already done. Now, they are paying for their misstep.

The Washington Examiner reported: “The National School Boards Association is facing a possible seven-figure funding shortfall after 17 state boards associations voted to cut ties with the national group over the last month.” Axios noted that these 17 affiliates “accounted for more than 40% of annual dues paid to NSBA by its state association members in 2019.” The report also explained:

“The group gets more dues income directly from school districts, with more than 1,200 providing nearly $5.3 million this year, according to NSBA records. Like the state associations, some of those districts also have severed ties with the group this fall.”

Have They Learned Their Lesson?

An NSBA spokesperson declined to go into detail on how this shortfall will affect the organization’s operations. But they did reveal the organization “continues to have the resources we need to be effective on behalf of our members, and we will relentlessly work to advance our mission and continuously improve as an organization.”

However, it is difficult to believe that 40% of its income being slashed will not adversely impact the group’s ability to function at typical levels. The Axios report also noted the “$1.1 million figure likely undercounts state associations’ financial support, which also includes contributions related to NSBA conferences and events.” This is likely why the organization decided to apologize when it was castigated for trying to classify concerned parents as terrorists; its leadership probably suspected people would not simply forgive and forget.

The NSBA might have reconsidered its conduct after receiving such aggressive pushback. But this is not just about the organization; it is about how the left has handled this matter from the beginning of the controversy. The NSBA’s actions are just a microcosm of the authoritarian left’s efforts to crush dissent by any means necessary. Progressives have used a myriad of tactics to stop parents from making their views known at school board meetings and elsewhere.

So far, these efforts have not borne much fruit – but that doesn’t mean the progressive left will stop trying. It appears the only way the left will back down is when they realize they might meet fierce resistance. Perhaps those who value the freedom to speak out can take a lesson from this: The authoritarian left’s bark can typically be worse than its bite.

~ Read more from Jeff Charles.

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About the author

Jeff Charles

Socio-political Correspondent at LibertyNation.com. A self-confessed news and political junkie, Jeff’s writing has been featured in Small Business Trends, Business2Community, and The Huffington Post. Born in Southern California and having experienced the 1992 L.A. Riots up close and personal, Jeff’s insights are informed by his experiences as a black man and a conservative.Race Relations & Media Affairs Correspondent