The Wyoming Education Association (WEA) has lost its way, prioritizing bureaucratic control over the needs of Wyoming’s students, parents, and teachers.
Their recent actions reveal a troubling pattern of obstructing educational choice and aligning with divisive, out-of-touch ideologies. It’s time to call out these missteps and demand a new path forward—one that truly serves our communities.
First, the WEA’s lawsuit against Wyoming’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program is a direct attack on parental choice.
Nearly 4,000 families applied for ESAs to access options like tutoring, private schools, or specialized therapies tailored to their children’s unique needs.
Yet, at the eleventh hour, the WEA sought an injunction to block this program. This move doesn’t protect students — it protects a one-size-fits-all system that in the eyes of many parents, fails children.
Wyoming families deserve the FREEDOM to choose what’s best for their children, not a union standing in their way.
Second, the WEA’s silence in the face of the National Education Association’s (NEA) inflammatory rhetoric is unacceptable.
The NEA’s recent attacks, labeling certain common sense and uncontroversial policies as “fascist” or “racist,” are divisive and unproductive.
As an affiliate, the WEA has a responsibility to reject this kind of rhetoric, which alienates Wyoming teachers and parents.
Their failure to speak up signals either apathy or agreement—neither of which serves the interests of our state’s educators or students.
Finally, the WEA’s refusal to challenge the Colorado Education Association’s (CEA) anti-capitalism resolution is equally concerning.
The CEA’s claim that capitalism “exploits” children and schools is disconnected from reality. Capitalism drives Wyoming’s economy, funding our schools and supporting our communities.
By staying silent, the WEA betrays the values of hard work and opportunity that Wyomingites hold dear.
Wyoming’s teachers, students, and parents deserve better. The WEA’s actions show it’s more interested in preserving its influence than advancing education.
If the WEA truly envisioned a society where education is seamless, respected and highly valued they should crack open an economics textbook and absorb the wise words of Milton Friedman.
The Wyoming legislature, representing thousands of Wyomingites, overwhelmingly confirmed that they support Educational Savings Accounts.
Furthermore, just like Milton Friedman, Wyomingites believe families, rather than the government, should decide where their children attend school. It’s time for teachers to form a new organization — one that champions parental choice, supports educators, and focuses on what matters most: helping every child succeed.
A Wyoming Teachers’ Alliance, grounded in common sense and student-focused solutions, could be the answer.
Let’s move forward with an association that reflects our values and puts kids first.
Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R) HD50
Representative Rachel Rodriguez-Williams serves House District 50 in Park County. She serves as the Chairman of the House Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee. She is the Chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a member of the Wyoming Republican Caucus, and the SBA National Pro-Life Women's Caucus.
