The Colorado Education Association (CEA) is a left-of-center teachers’ union representing approximately 40,000 teachers throughout Colorado. The union supports a variety of left-of-center pro-union policies at the state level in Colorado, particularly increased education spending in the state and opposing state laws that allow for budget cuts to balance the state budget. The union passed an anti-capitalist resolution in 2023 stating that “The CEA believes that capitalism inherently exploits children, public schools, land, labor, and resources.” ¹

The union is the state-level affiliate of the National Education Association, the left-of-center teachers union that is among the largest unions in the United States. ^{2 3 4}

Background and History

The Colorado Education Association was founded in 1875 as the first public-sector teachers’ union in the state. By 1921, the union had 6,000 members, and in 1929, it became an affiliate of the National Education Association, becoming the NEA’s 12th-largest affiliate. The CEA has remained an affiliate of the NEA to the present day. The union has consistently lobbied for higher teacher pay and education spending since its founding and established local collective bargaining units. ⁵

The organization increased its lobbying efforts supporting increased education funding and joined in Red for Ed demonstrations alongside teachers’ unions in states including Arizona, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The group has also led campaigns to deemphasize standardized testing. ⁶

Activity

The Colorado Education Association is active in lobbying for left-of-center educational policies with an emphasis on increased state education spending. The union opposes the use of the state’s Budget Stabilization Factor, which is derived from a state referendum that allows to state to lower local school district funding to balance the state budget. ⁷

The union’s 2024 legislative agenda calls for the Governor and legislatures to lower the Budget Stabilization Factor to $0 and to “identify and implement long-term systemic solutions” to fund public schools. Other items addressed by the union’s agenda include “housing supply and affordability,” opposing the restriction of explicit content being taught in schools or offered in school libraries, and supporting gun ownership restrictions. ^{8 9}

The union also endorses candidates for public office, overwhelmingly endorsing Democratic candidates over Republicans. In 2022 the union endorsed Gov. Jared Polis (D), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), and dozens of additional Democratic state and congressional candidates. ¹⁰

Anti-Capitalist Views

In 2023, the Colorado Education Association passed a resolution at its annual convention calling for the union to embrace the dismantling of capitalism, stating that “The CEA believes that capitalism inherently exploits children, public schools, land, labor, and resources. Capitalism is in opposition to fully addressing systemic racism (the school to prison pipeline), climate change, patriarchy (gender and LGBTQ disparities), education inequality, and income inequality.” ^{11 12}

The resolution was authored by Bryan Lindstrom, a history teacher who has made multiple runs for public office. While Lindstrom declined to comment to the Denver Gazette on the resolution, the Gazette reported that “his Twitter feed hints of his ideological persuasion. On May 1, for example, he tweeted the last line from Marx and Engels’ The Communist Manifesto, ‘Workers of the world, unite!’” ^{13 14}

One union member posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the resolution allowed for the CEA to “now publicly advocate and lobby for anti-capitalist policies at the CO Capitol.” ^{15 16}

1. Nelson, Joshua Q. “Colorado teachers union passes resolution declaring capitalism ‘inherently exploits children, public schools.'” Fox News, May 4, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/colorado-teachers-union-passes-resolution-declaring-capitalism-inherently-exploits-children-public-schools
2. Del Puerto, Luige. “Colorado teachers union adopts anti-capitalist polemic.” Denver Gazette. May 22, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://denvergazette.com/news/government/colorado-teachers-union-anti-capitalism-polemic/article_f31b3b7c-f810-11ed-a540-1f1adeb0fd84.html
3. “Legislative and Political.” Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://coloradoea.org/what-we-do/legislative-political/
4. “2023-2024 Colorado State of Education Report. Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://online.publicationprinters.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=33485147-4b53-429b-9ae6-a9f585959a7e
5. “History.” Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024  https://coloradoea.org/about/history/
6. “History.” Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024  https://coloradoea.org/about/history/
7. “2023-2024 Colorado State of Education Report. Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://online.publicationprinters.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=33485147-4b53-429b-9ae6-a9f585959a7e
8. “2023-2024 Colorado State of Education Report. Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://online.publicationprinters.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=33485147-4b53-429b-9ae6-a9f585959a7e
9. “Issues We Care About.” Colorado Education Association. Accessed January 15, 2024  https://coloradoea.org/issues-we-care-about/
10. “CEA Media Release: Election Recommendations From Colorado Education Association Announced.” Colorado Education Association. October 7, 2022. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://coloradoea.org/news-updates/cea-media-release-election-recommendations-from-colorado-education-association-announced/
11. Del Puerto, Luige. “Colorado teachers union adopts anti-capitalist polemic.” Denver Gazette. May 22, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://denvergazette.com/news/government/colorado-teachers-union-anti-capitalism-polemic/article_f31b3b7c-f810-11ed-a540-1f1adeb0fd84.html
12. Nelson, Joshua Q. “Colorado teachers union passes resolution declaring capitalism ‘inherently exploits children, public schools.'” Fox News, May 4, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/colorado-teachers-union-passes-resolution-declaring-capitalism-inherently-exploits-children-public-schools
13. Del Puerto, Luige. “Colorado teachers union adopts anti-capitalist polemic.” Denver Gazette. May 22, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://denvergazette.com/news/government/colorado-teachers-union-anti-capitalism-polemic/article_f31b3b7c-f810-11ed-a540-1f1adeb0fd84.html
14. Nelson, Joshua Q. “Colorado teachers union passes resolution declaring capitalism ‘inherently exploits children, public schools.'” Fox News, May 4, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/colorado-teachers-union-passes-resolution-declaring-capitalism-inherently-exploits-children-public-schools
15. “Tim Hernandez.” Twitter Post. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://x.com/_timhernandez/status/1649852957599621121?s=20
16. Nelson, Joshua Q. “Colorado teachers union passes resolution declaring capitalism ‘inherently exploits children, public schools.'” Fox News, May 4, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/colorado-teachers-union-passes-resolution-declaring-capitalism-inherently-exploits-children-public-schools