The National Education Association (NEA), a union special-interest group that was long thought to back the 2015 Jefferson County recall battle which ousted three conservative school board members, has again admitted to being the mastermind behind the effort.

On the website for the NEA’s upcoming Leadership Summit, to be held this weekend in Dallas, an agenda item which has since been removed has openly revealed that the NEA led a two-year strategy to remove three conservative school board officials from public office:

226: Powerful, Prepared, Proactive: Building a Comprehensive Plan to Win – PART 1

In the 2015 election, the Jefferson County Education Association in Colorado beat back the Koch brothers and other outside money and interests in their local school board election by building and working a comprehensive plan to win. In this session, participants will learn the strategies and processes involved in the successful two year plan. Participants will learn how organized people can beat organized money. (It is recommended that participants attend both Part 1 and Part 2).

John Ford

Attendees to the workshop, led by Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) president John Ford, will gain insight into some of the nefarious political tactics used to advance the recall. That includes teacher sick-outs, student walk outs, and fabrication of a media narrative that Jefferson County communities were “angry” with school board officials. Attendees will likely learn how to trick a community into believing that a school board recall was a grassroots effort aiming to “restore transparency, accountability and respect“.

As it turns out, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Of all funds raised for the recall campaign, only $3,115 were donated by individuals.  The NEA, CEA (Colorado Education Association), and the JCEA worked together to funnel a combined $283,500 to Jeffco United, the group behind the effort.

Let’s say it again: this was not a grassroots campaign. Special interest money–a lot of it–was behind the recall, and now unions are openly touting their dirty tactics as viable political strategy. It’s rare, but satisfying, to again see unions fessing up to deceiving voters.