Hundreds of educators stand up to teachers’ unions at Teacher Freedom Summit

Nearly 300 teachers attended this year’s Teacher Freedom Summit to learn how to counter “tactics used by the [National Education Association] and [American Federation of Teachers],” the two largest teachers’ unions in the United States.

The second annual summit provided teachers with tools to counter the “socialist dogma of [union] leadership into our children’s classrooms.”

The event took place July 8-10 in Denver, Colorado, and it was hosted by the free-market think tank, Freedom Foundation. Featured speakers included Dr. Carol Swain, Dr. James Lindsay, Dr. Michael Hartney, and Mark Janus, according to a graphic shared by the organization.  

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend my week with hundreds of courageous teachers from across the country at the Teacher Freedom Summit,” Swain said in a statement on Instagram. “Corrupt Teacher Unions are the reason for our failing public schools. Dedicated teachers like these bravely standing up will be the only way we can save public education.” 

Public officials also spoke, including Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters, Louisiana Superintendent Cade Brumley and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, according to Dmitriy Sashchenko, the Oregon outreach director for Freedom Foundation, who spoke to The Lion. 

There were breakouts hosted by several organizations, including Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Foundation for Economic Education, The Independent Council on Women’s Sports, and Freedom in Education.  

“The conference was life changing for me and inspirational to say the very least,” educator Tammy McMahon-Gorans told The Lion. “I’ve been so concerned about the direction of education for many years, so much that in 2022 I was a school board candidate for Fresno Unified and became a member of California for Equal Rights organization.” 

The teacher is also a school ambassador for Freedom in Education and speaks to “local groups about laws coming through the capitol that are dangerous to kids and parental rights.” 

McMahon-Gorans even goes to the state Legislature to speak out against these laws, as she did with California’s recently signed AB 1955, which prohibits school boards from passing parental notification policies that would require teachers and school staff to let parents know when their children transition genders. 

“I was invited to the Freedom Summit with no idea what I would learn,” she told The Lion. “I was joined by a host of happy faces and greeters and networked with 275 other teachers all across this nation to join together and work to be a positive change in education.   

“I was exposed to amazing speakers, life changing knowledge, and a new excitement to shine a light for others to see. I left knowing that I am not alone and excited to see what lies ahead.  This is a time for positive change and action and now I know I have a host of support. I am forever grateful for this. Thank you so much to the donors who made all this possible.”