by Spencer Lombardo
Teachers unions and education associations have helped turn schools into pipelines for leftist activists as early as Kindergarten, according to a parent advocacy group.
The American Parents Coalition (APC) documented multiple examples of left-wing teaching practices that education organizations like the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) prioritized, according to an APC report.
“These efforts begin in the earliest educational settings. Schools are integrating this curriculum into preschool classrooms and hosting events for elementary students. Then those same children are directed toward protests and lawsuits. This pipeline has become standard practice, and parents likely have no idea it is happening until it is already in motion,” APC Executive Director Alleigh Marré told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
From spending nearly $2 million on training teachers and students to protest, to backing anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawsuits, here are 5 ways educators have turned K-12 students into left-wing activists, according to APC’s report.
1. “May Day” Protests
May Day 2026 was a May 1 nationwide protest that demanded the government to “Tax the rich,” “ICE Out,” and “Expand democracy, not corporate power,” Defending Education reported in April.
One of the organizations that trained teachers and students for the protests was Midwest Academy, which received $1,735,000 from NEA since 2015, according to Defending Education.
Over 5,000 demonstrations were held in the United States during May Day 2026, according to May Day Strong’s website.
2. Chicago Teachers Union Allegedly Cites Trump As “Fascist”
AFT’s Chicago chapter, Chicago Teachers Union, distributed curricula branding President Donald Trump as a “fascist,” according to a X post by school choice activist Corey DeAngelis last April. It cited the president’s job cuts and “Going after cities with Black Mayors” as examples.
BREAKING: Chicago Teachers Union just sent out curriculum for public school teachers and it indoctrinates kids by calling Trump fascist. pic.twitter.com/O2fQD7F1Ok
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) April 24, 2026
3. PCUN v Mullin
NEA and AFT filed an emergency motion in PCUN v. Mullin (formerly PCUN v. Noem) aimed at preventing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from having access to “sensitive locations” like schools, hospitals, and churches, AFT stated in a February press release.
The lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (then led by Kristi Noem) and ICE by multiple “community organizations and faith leaders” represented by Innovation Law Law and Justice Action Center in April 2025, according to the Justice Action Center’s website.
4. ‘They’re not too young to talk about race!’
While not necessarily union-linked, a 2018 one-pager titled “They’re not too young to talk about race!” that APC attributed to Philadelphia-based The Children’s Community School claims white children’s “expression of racial prejudice often peak” at around ages 4-5.
“Silence about race reinforces racism by letting children draw their own conclusions based on what they see. Teachers and families can play a powerful role in helping children of all ages develop positive attitudes about race and diversity and skills to promote a more just future,” the document states.
5) Oregon’s Social Science Standards
Oregon’s 2024 Social Science Standards instruct students to “identify examples of unfairness or injustice,” according to APC.
“Effective social science instruction cultivates respect for diverse aspects of identity such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic class, and disability. The standards support students in developing an understanding of the immense strengths demonstrated by communities striving for equity despite systemic barriers. Evaluating the motivations and contexts of resistance movements, protests, and everyday resilience requires students to appreciate the inequities and challenges faced by traditionally underrepresented individuals and groups,” the policy states.
A spokesperson at Oregon’s Department of Education confirmed to the DCNF that the state’s 2024 standards are still in use.
AFT’s and NEA’s Oregon chapters spent $118,166 and $275,503, respectively, on lobbying during the state’s 2025 legislative session, OregonLive reported last August.
AFT, NEA, and The Children’s Community School did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
“Parents need to be engaged in their children’s education early and stay involved. Read and review your child’s curriculum and their daily assignments. Talk to their teachers and get to know other parents. Demand transparency from schools and attend school board meetings to advocate for policies that keep parents involved and focus on education, not activism,” Marré told the DCNF when asked what solutions there are for mitigating the apparent pipeline.
“Parents send their children to school expecting them to learn how to read, write, and think for themselves. What many are getting instead is an agenda from more interested in pushing political causes at the expense of academic performance and preparedness for the future. Parents are the solution. They are the ones who can and must take back control of their children’s education,” she said.
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Spencer Lombardo is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
