The American education system continues to drift further from its foundational purpose of teaching core academic subjects.

Instead of focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic, powerful teachers’ unions increasingly view classrooms as laboratories for social engineering and political indoctrination.

Parents across the nation are waking up to discover that their children’s teachers are being armed with ideologically charged materials that have nothing to do with traditional education. These materials often promote radical worldviews that directly contradict the values many families hold dear.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), representing 117,000 educators across 400 local associations, was called before the state’s Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism on February 10, 2025.

During this hearing, MTA president Max Page defended materials that lawmakers are calling “educational malpractice,” including inflammatory anti-Israel rhetoric and concerning propaganda aimed at young students.

From ‘The Daily Caller’:

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) has been promoting the use of anti-Israel teaching materials that includes phrases such as “Zionist bullies” in workbooks for students…

“Some of the materials provided to educators included Palestinian ‘activist’ guides and a children’s book that says ‘a group of bullies called Zionists wanted our land so they stole it by force and hurt many people’ and ‘children like me keep having their homes taken by Zionist bullies.'”

Political Activism Masquerading as Education

The situation in Massachusetts reveals a troubling pattern of union overreach. The teaching materials include images that have drawn particular criticism, including a Star of David constructed from dollar bills. That’s a classic antisemitic trope that slanders millions of Jewish people.

State Senator John Velis expressed horror at the content being promoted for classroom use. “The resources that they have put together are nothing short than education malpractice,” he declared during the hearing, promising legislative action to keep such materials out of K-12 classrooms.

Trump Administration Takes Action

President Trump’s Department of Justice has responded decisively to the growing concern about antisemitism in educational institutions.

In early 2025, the administration created the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, specifically targeting the rise of antisemitic harassment in schools and on college campuses.

This federal response comes at a crucial time, as similar incidents continue to surface across the country. The task force promises to “root out anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on college campuses,” providing a needed check on educational institutions that have strayed from their core mission.

Parental Rights Under Siege

Perhaps most concerning is the MTA’s apparent dismissal of parental input and alternative viewpoints.

During the February 10 hearing, a Massachusetts social studies teacher defended the one-sided approach, stating, “History teaching is political, moral, personal and emotional. We are misled if we think that we always have to teach both sides of a history.”

This explicit rejection of balanced education represents a direct challenge to parental rights and traditional educational values.

When asked who compiled these controversial resources, Page refused to disclose the information, raising further questions about transparency and accountability in educational curriculum development.

Key Takeaways:

• Teachers union caught promoting anti-Israel propaganda to children while claiming “both sides don’t need to be taught.”
• Trump administration launches dedicated task force to protect Jewish students from harassment in schools.
• Parents face growing challenges as education unions abandon traditional teaching for political activism.

Sources: Daily Caller, Boston Herald, American Thinker