I have been teaching mathematics grades 7 through college since 1977. I love to teach. I enjoy working with people of all ages and experience a great deal of satisfaction when I see a student who has been struggling finally achieve success. That positive reaction of students is one of the primary reasons why many of us teachers teach.

There is one part of the job I don’t enjoy though –– forced participation in the Washington Education Association (WEA).

The WEA is our state’s teachers’ union. There have been several times that I haven’t agreed with the union’s political stances, so I chose to opt out, but they sure didn’t make it easy!

After the WEA was fined a record amount a few years ago for violating Washington campaign finance laws, I knew I had made the right decision.

Recently, however, the WEA has been accused of violating campaign finance laws again, and this time they did it with my money as a non-member.

Teachers who opt out of the union are still required to pay agency fees. These fees are supposed to be used for collective bargaining and other non-political union activities.

In the past election seasons, the WEA used my agency fees to finance political activities in clear violation of state law. This action by the WEA violated my trust and the trust of 4,194 other teachers who opted out of the union for various reasons.

The WEA officials did not learn their lesson in 1998. They clearly believe that they do not have to play by the same rules as everyone else. I am absolutely astounded at their arrogance.

These officials take my money, plain and simple. They use it in a way that benefits themselves instead of all the hard-working teachers in our state.

I firmly believe it is time for the Attorney General (AG) to send the WEA a strong message. I want to see her levy a fine that will discourage the WEA officials from acting in this illegal and unethical manner in the future.

I am calling on all teachers and all Washingtonians to contact the AG. Tell her that you have had enough of the WEA’s reckless, irresponsible, and illegal behavior.

Let’s remind her there are Washingtonians throughout our great state who care about the law and expect the rules to be followed. It’s time for this behavior to be stopped once and for all.