NJEA leadership spent $45 million of our hard-earned dues to pay for Sean Spiller’s campaign expenses when he ran for Governor. Our money went to giant billboards, television and online advertising, thousands and thousands of mailers, and other questionable spending.
New Jersey teachers should not be forced to pay for Sean Spiller’s campaign bills.
This money could have been used to help us pay for school supplies, teacher development and support, and to strengthen our local unions. Instead, it was taken away from us and spent without our approval while NJEA leadership hid the truth from us.
This must never happen again.
#1 Tell Us How $45 Million of Our Dues Were Spent: The NJEA must hire an independent auditor to report back during this year’s NJEA Convention on how every dollar of the $45 million of our dues was spent on Sean Spiller’s campaign for governor.
#2 NJEA Leadership Must Apologize for Spending Our Dues and Hiding the Truth from Us: Sean Spiller and current NJEA leadership must publicly apologize to members during this year’s NJEA Convention for spending our dues while hiding the truth from members.
#3 NJEA Leadership Should Never Be Allowed To Do This Again: NJEA leadership must publicly commit during this year’s NJEA Convention to a new policy that member dues cannot be spent on politics without explicit approval from members.
#4 NJEA Leadership Must Allow Members to Express Themselves without Fear of Retaliation: NJEA leadership must publicly commit to maintaining a climate where members can question and even dissent from NJEA leadership without fear of retaliation.
A Message and Petition from Dr. Marie Dupont - a U.S. Army Veteran, Haitian Immigrant, and longtime Roselle, New Jersey, Public School Teacher
Dear Friends and Colleagues of NJEA:
As NJEA members, we trust our dues will strengthen classrooms, support teachers, and benefit students: not bankroll political campaigns. But last year, $45 million of our hard-earned dues was diverted into Sean Spiller’s failed run for governor. That’s money that could have put $225 into the hands of every teacher for classroom supplies or funded real professional development across our schools.
When I questioned this spending in an open letter to NJEA leadership, I was met with silence. Pressing further, I attended the NJEA Summer Leadership Conference, only to be removed under what I believe was the pretext of a membership issue, despite being fully registered. No teacher should be punished for asking where our money is going.
This is bigger than one campaign. If NJEA leadership can funnel away $45 million without our knowledge or consent, what’s to stop them from doing it again in the next election cycle? Teachers deserve transparency, accountability, and a voice in how our dues are spent.
Best regards,
