(Matthew Doarnberger, Headline USA) Video from over the weekend showed the president of the National Education Association giving a bizarre and outlandish speech that some compared to the offbeat comedy series The Office.
STRANGER THAN FICTION: The NEA's Becky Pringle, the unhinged Democrat activist who represents government teachers, copied The Office's Dwight Schrute's infamous speaking style this weekend. Who did it better? pic.twitter.com/sD27oQ9oh7
— @amuse (@amuse) July 8, 2024
Delivering remarks at the 2024 NEA Representative Assembly in Philadelphia, organization president Becky Pringle embarked upon a truly over-the-top message to her audience.
As her speech quickly accelerated into an intense rant, Pringle began to flail her arms and bang on the podium while continuing to increase her decibel level.
The message reached its height when she declared how much students allegedly depend on the NEA being victorious.
“We are the heirs of all who did this work before us. We must keep going,” she said.
“NEA Delegates, we can do this work. We must do this work,” she continued. “Our students are depending on us to win all the things! All the things! All the things! All the things!”
Opponents of the NEA were quick to criticize Pringle’s speech. School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis, speaking to Fox News Digital, called the speech “off the rails” and used it as an example of why teachers unions must be opposed.
“These power-hungry control freaks think they own your kids. They’re in a cult that worships government and detests parents. It’s time to defund teachers’ unions and allow the money to follow the child.”
Heritage Foundation research fellow Jason Bedrick echoed DeAngelis’s criticism of both the speech itself and the NEA as an organization.
“Her overwrought, hyper-partisan tirade amounted to an advertisement for school choice,” Bedrick said.
“During her speech, Pringle claimed the NEA would ‘continue to embrace the profound trust that has been placed in’ them,” he continued. “Apparently, she hasn’t seen the polls showing record-low public trust in public schools.”
Both DeAngelis and Bedrick also made references to Dwight Schrute, a character from the popular TV show The Office when he channeled Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in making a speech in a memorable episode.
“Becky Pringle pulled a Dwight Schrute. She is off-the-rails and desperate to maintain control over the minds of other people’s children,” said DeAngelis.
“Even Pringle’s over-the-top, Dwight Schrute-like theatrics can’t distract from her union’s role in the dismal state of education in this country,” said Bedrick. “From keeping schools closed for far too long during COVID, to shielding bad teachers from accountability—all at the expense of students’ learning.”
Despite a decline in membership, the NEA’s revenues increased to a total of $379 million for the most recent fiscal year. Pringle will make over $300,000, while more than three quarters of NEA employees earn six-figure salaries.
By contrast, the average salary for its dues-paying teachers was $69,544, according to recent NEA data, with the average starting salary at $44,530.
