Teachers union for Christians provides support and strong alternative to NEA & AFT

Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) is an alternative to the mainstream, politically-biased teachers unions in the United States. A majority of public school teachers are contracted into the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) or the National Education Association (NEA). These unions are notorious for their political involvement, but their political contributions, almost all of which go to Democratic and other left-wing causes, are not representative of their membership. 

From 2004 to 2016, political donations from teacher unions increased from $4.3 million to $32 million. These unions contribute at least 94% of their funds to Democrats and other left-wing affiliations. In 2020, 97% of donations were made to the Democratic party, whereas 3% went to Republicans. The NEA and AFT are among the organizations that consistently donate the most money to these candidates and political groups. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME has given teachers the freedom to choose union membership.

The Christian alternative, CEIA, “offers equal or better coverage than other unions do,” Executive Director, David Schmus, told​​ The Lion. “Teachers shouldn’t have to lie about who they are in public schools.”

For several years, CEAI has equipped, encouraged, and empowered Christian educators in their school environments. Schmus emphasized that the organization is not-for-profit, and their funds are donated to other ministries, scholarships, and grants for teachers rather than to political organizations. 

CEAI offers two wings for educators: “The Protection Wing” and “The Ministry Wing.”  “The Protection Wing” protects teachers in their profession. Within this protection plan, educators have access to up to $2 million for damages from professional liability and employment liability lawsuits, to a local attorney to represent educators, and to unlimited educational and legal consultation. 

“The Ministry Wing” raises and equips Christian educators in their environment. To accomplish this, CEAI has developed three ministry initiatives. CEAI offers a free webinar that explains how teachers can legally live out their faith in public schools, gatherings to equip and inspire teachers to take the gospel into their schools, and year-round training to raise missional educational leaders.

CEAI is relatively inexpensive and provides several different membership options. Professionals pay $20/month to become a member with full coverage, and students pay $35/year to become a member with full coverage. CEAI also offers Teachers of Vision—a magazine that provides biblical resources to encourage, equip, and empower Christian educators. 

Signing up is easy and can be done through the CEAI website.