Hey Girls, Need An Abortion? The NEA Can Help With that.
The National Education Association has launched a new campaign in schools that it says is designed to “support students” and “uplift their unique value as individuals.” On the surface, that may sound like a positive goal. But a closer look at the campaign raises serious questions about the priorities behind it.
The campaign is co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood, one of the most politically controversial organizations in the country. While Planned Parenthood presents itself as a health provider, it is also the nation’s largest abortion provider and a leading advocate for expansive sexual education programs aimed at young audiences.
That partnership alone should concern parents. Schools should be focused on education, not acting as a platform for organizations that promote highly charged political and cultural agendas.
Even more troubling is the material being distributed to students. The flyer associated with the campaign includes a QR code that directs students to Planned Parenthood’s website. When scanned, the code leads to a page that prominently asks, “Need an abortion?”
It is difficult to reconcile that message with the claim that the campaign simply exists to support students. Directing minors toward abortion resources and explicit sexual health content is not a neutral act. It introduces topics that many parents believe should be addressed at home, not promoted in the classroom through school-endorsed partnerships.
Parents trust schools to focus on academic instruction, character development, and preparing students for the future. When organizations like the NEA use their position to advance ideological partnerships, that trust begins to erode.
The NEA often speaks about putting students first. But campaigns like this suggest that advancing a broader social agenda has become a higher priority than staying focused on learning.
Supporting students should mean helping them grow academically, think critically, and succeed in life. It should not mean exposing them to controversial messaging or directing them to organizations that many families fundamentally disagree with.
If the NEA truly wants to uplift students, it should start by keeping political activism and advocacy groups out of the classroom.