If you’re wondering why your kid’s school is more about indoctrination than multiplication tables, look no further than the National Education Association. This bloated behemoth of a union, masquerading as champions of teachers, is actually one of the biggest sugar daddies for every radical left-wing freak show from anti-ICE riots to ballot-box shenanigans. And guess what? It’s all on the backs of hardworking teachers’ dues and a pile of investment cash that’s supposed to be for education, not revolution. We’re diving deep into where this money comes from and where it vanishes—because in an America First world, we don’t tolerate unions turning classrooms into commie camps.
The Money Pipeline: Dues, Investments, and a Bottomless Pit
The NEA rakes in hundreds of millions every year, mostly from the pockets of its three million members who fork over dues thinking it’s for better pay and pencils. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, total revenue hit $529.5 million, with $374.2 million straight from those dues. That’s right—teachers paying up to keep the lights on in union headquarters while their classrooms crumble.
But wait, there’s more. Another $135.3 million poured in from selling off investments like stocks and bonds. We’re talking Bank of America securities and other Wall Street plays that netted them a tidy sum. By 2024, revenue dipped to $402.7 million, still a king’s ransom, with $382.5 million from program services (read: more dues and fees) and $10.2 million from investments. Fast forward to the latest filings, and they’re down to $419.9 million in revenue, but don’t cry for them—they’re sitting on $443 million in assets.
Membership’s tanking, down thousands year over year, yet the cash keeps flowing. Why? Because the NEA’s got a sweet setup where dues are mandatory in too many states, turning teachers into unwilling ATMs for the union brass.
Burning Cash on Everything But Education
Now, where does all this loot go? Spoiler: Not to your kid’s math book. In 2023, the NEA blew through $519.3 million, with a whopping $126.4 million on “contributions, gifts, and grants.” That’s code for handing out cash like candy at a parade. Political activities and lobbying? $50.1 million in 2023 alone, dropping to $39.2 million recently, but still enough to buy a lot of influence.
Representational activities—the stuff that’s supposed to help teachers—got a measly $39.3 million in 2023. Meanwhile, they shelled out $115.9 million on buying more investments and fixed assets, padding their nest egg while schools beg for scraps. General overhead, admin, and benefits for union fat cats ate up another chunk, totaling 34.7 percent of spending.
By 2024, expenses climbed to $411 million, leaving them $8.3 million in the red, but with $375 million in net assets, they’re not exactly starving. Strikes got peanuts—$30,916 in benefits—while direct taxes sucked up $7.2 million. It’s a money-laundering operation disguised as a union, prioritizing politics over pencils.
Bankrolling the Border Chaos and Street Riots
Here’s where it gets spicy: The NEA’s one of the top funders of left-wing protests and anti-ICE madness. In the latest 2024 filings, they funneled $300,000 to dark money operations pushing radical agendas. Millions more—over $3.5 million—went to international teacher federations tied to global leftist causes.
They’ve poured cash into state ballot fights, like killing standardized testing in Massachusetts and anti-gerrymandering pushes in Ohio, all while screaming about ICE “occupying” communities. In January 2026, the NEA boss doubled down, demanding ICE stay out of schools and hospitals, calling raids “traumatizing” to students. Translation: They’re all in on open borders and shielding illegals.
And the protests? The NEA’s backing “No Kings” rallies and anti-ICE blockades, with union cash flowing to activist crews stirring up riots in places like Minneapolis. Recent revelations show nearly $29 million from the NEA to far-left groups between 2022 and 2024, including ties to anti-Israel demos and social justice warriors. That’s your dues at work—funding chaos instead of chalkboards.
The America First Fix: Starve the Beast
This isn’t about education; it’s about power. The NEA’s lost members because teachers are waking up to the scam, but until we bust mandatory dues and defund this leftist leviathan, it’ll keep poisoning our schools. In an America First era, we prioritize kids over commies, borders over bedlam. Time to drain the union swamp and put the money back where it belongs—in the classroom, not the streets.