America's largest teachers' union poured tens of millions into political causes last year, spent comparatively little on members

America's largest teachers' union, the National Education Association, spent twice as much on politics-related expenses as it did on its own members last year, according to an analysis of the union's financial disclosures.

In a report published Thursday, the Washington Examiner shared details of an analysis of the union's filings produced by the right-to-work nonprofit organization Americans for Fair Treatment that appeared to show the NEA's overt mission to sway the nation's politics.

In its analysis, the nonprofit reportedly found that during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the NEA, which boasts more than 3 million members, "donated $66 million to political activities and another $117 million to 'contributions, gifts, and grants' that were primarily political donations."

The $66 million in political donations amounted to 18% of the union's $374 million budget for 2020-2021, while the $117 million in "contributions, gifts, and grants" amounted to 32% of its expenditures. Meanwhile, just 9% of the union's budget was spent on direct assistance to members.

The exorbitant amount of political spending, the group said, shows where the union's "priorities lie."

It also comes as parents across the country become increasingly concerned over the teaching of progressive ideologies such as critical race theory and gender fluidity in schools.

"The National Education Association’s political and charitable spending in 2020-2021 makes the NEA look more like a political organization than a membership organization," Americans for Fair Treatment said in a statement to the Examiner. "The union spent $2 on politics for every $1 it spent on representing its members."

Furthermore, many of the NEA's political donations were sent to political action committees representing Democratic candidates or to liberal advocacy groups, Americans for Fair Treatment noted.

For example, the union sent more than $8 million to the State Engagement Fund and the Strategic Victory Fund, organizations that funnel money to left-wing political groups and Democratic candidates. It also donated $1 million to Future Forward USA Action, a PAC that supported President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign.

Based on statements posted on the NEA's website and social media accounts, it is clear which political party the union supports.

The NEA's president, Becky Pringle, recently released a statement celebrating the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, calling Jackson's story "the story of all of us who have overcome great obstacles in the pursuit of making our country a better, more equitable place for all."

According to the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm, in the past, the NEA has supported controversial causes such as Black Lives Matter, the teaching of critical race theory in classrooms, taxpayer-funded reparations, and abortion.