Department of Defense Schools (DoDEA)

Stop anti-labor policies in Department of Defense schools

Two years ago, under the guise of “professional development,” the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) decided to require stateside educators represented by the Federal Education Association, an NEA affiliate, to devote 24 additional, unpaid hours per quarter to busy work that hinders their ability to prepare for instruction and attend to students. On average, teachers already spend 17-plus hours per week outside the duty day preparing for instruction and grading assignments. In January 2020, an impartial arbitrator found DoDEA acted illegally by unilaterally implementing the additional uncompensated hours. However, DoDEA has refused to comply with the arbitrator’s ruling, instead delaying implementation by appealing the decision to the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

Recently, DoDEA announced that in its Southeast District, the unfunded additional hours will extend the duty day by an hour twice a week, creating additional hardships for educators who already lack time to complete their duties without sacrificing time with their own children, forgoing medical appointments, and abandoning personal commitments. They are exhausted from trying to balance their personal and workplace obligations and are stressed to the point of breaking—all of which is massively detrimental to their students’ learning and extracurricular environments.

Email your members of Congress and ask them to intervene, hold DoDEA accountable, and end these anti-labor practices.