OPINION:
The Virginia Education Association has long masqueraded as a benevolent force for educators and students. Still, its stubborn endorsement of Jay Jones for the commonwealth’s attorney general rips off the mask once and for all.
Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for the state’s top law enforcement position, was caught in leaked text messages fantasizing about shooting then-Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Even more chilling, he wished death upon his political opponent’s children in a twisted hope that personal tragedy might force a change in views. When confronted, Mr. Jones doubled down, stating coldly that people shift on policy only when they feel the pain personally.
How on earth can Virginia families trust that their children will be safe in schools staffed by a union that backs a guy like Mr. Jones? We’re talking about an organization that is supposed to prioritize education. Yet, here it is aligning with someone who harbors fantasies of violence and death wishes against children, all because of politics. The endorsement betrays every parent who sends their child to a public school under VEA’s influence.
When the backlash hit, did the VEA reflect on or reconsider its actions? Nope. It turned off comments on its X posts to silence dissent, blocked me personally on X and Facebook, and even blocked my emails across its entire domain. It tried to sweep its disgraceful endorsement under the rug.
This screams of an organization with no shame, operating in an equally unaccountable public school system. Teachers unions such as the VEA control vast swaths of education policy, yet they dodge scrutiny, leaving parents and taxpayers in the dark.
The VEA is the state affiliate of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union. In the last election cycle, the NEA funneled more than 98% of its political contributions to Democrats. The organization operates as a money laundering operation for the Democratic Party. Dues from hardworking teachers are siphoned off to fund partisan agendas that have little to do with reading, writing or arithmetic.
At its annual convention this year in Portland, Oregon, the NEA passed resolutions that read more like a declaration of war on the Trump administration than anything tied to education. One even labeled President Trump a “fascist.” At the same event, the NEA’s “Teacher of the Year” said the quiet part out loud, declaring that her job as a teacher is “deeply political” and always has been. The Freedom Foundation has reported that less than 10% of NEA dues go toward representing teachers. The rest fuels their left-wing political agendas.
After the Oct. 16 attorney general debate, the VEA signed on to a letter restating its support of Mr. Jones, citing opposition to Mr. Trump as a key reason. Meanwhile, the Fraternal Order of Police, a group far more relevant to the attorney general’s role in law enforcement, has called on Mr. Jones to withdraw from the race immediately, declaring him unfit to serve.
Yet here we have the VEA, ostensibly responsible for educating children, still backing a man who wishes death upon children. The situation goes beyond parody and reads like a headline from the Babylon Bee.
The political fallout has been swift and telling. Polls have flipped dramatically, with the RealClearPolling average now favoring Republican Jason Miyares. Betting markets give Mr. Miyares a clear edge, suggesting a 70% chance of victory on Election Day. This shift represents a stunning reversal: Before the leaked text messages, shared by National Review on Oct. 3, Mr. Jones consistently held a more than 80% chance of winning.
Voters and investors alike see the writing on the wall.
You would think the VEA would cut ties to salvage its credibility, but, no, it seems intent on going down with the ship, cementing its reputation as an anti-child organization. Even within the union world, cracks are showing. Jake Altman, a former executive director of a local American Federation of Teachers union, revealed on X that AFT President Randi Weingarten told him the union did not endorse Mr. Jones and pulled its contribution after the text message scandal broke. If even Ms. Weingarten, a woman infamous for her Trump derangement syndrome, sees the scandal as a bridge too far, you know it’s catastrophic for Virginia Democrats.
It’s time for Virginia parents to demand real accountability. They can no longer trust their children’s safety and education to schools controlled by the unhinged Virginia Education Association. School choice is the escape hatch families desperately need. It is a way to redirect education dollars to schools that align with their values, free from union strangleholds that prioritize politics over children.
Teachers who are not on board with the VEA’s radical leadership also need to fight back. They can opt out of the union and keep their hard-earned paychecks instead of watching them fund monsters like Jay “Two Bullets” Jones. Teachers should join the Teacher Freedom Alliance for free personal liability insurance. It’s a no-brainer for conservative, independent, rational Democratic educators.
The Jay Jones saga serves as a wake-up call. Teachers unions aren’t about education; they are political power brokers hiding behind the noble profession of teaching. Virginia deserves better, and so do its children.
• Corey DeAngelis is a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and a senior adviser at Americans for Fair Treatment.
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