How Powerful Are Teachers’ Unions? It Depends on the State

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank, released an updated state-by-state ranking of teacher union influence, showing significant variation across the U.S. Researchers Melissa Arnold Lyon, Sandy Frost Waldron, and Rebecca Jacobsen revised the 2012 criteria to assess union strength using 59 indicators, including resources, political involvement, labor policies, policy alignment, and perceived influence. They surveyed politicians, education leaders, and advocates in each state, with 33% of respondents identifying teachers’ unions as the most influential education policy actors. The analysis highlights that unions retain influence but are no longer the sole dominant force in many states, due to rising education reform groups and parent-rights movements. Blue states with Democratic governors—Vermont, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Hawaii—ranked highest, while red states like Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Mississippi scored lowest. North Carolina is the only Trump-voting state with a Democratic governor. Union strength correlates with membership rates, voter union affiliation, and revenue per teacher. The report cautions against broad national conclusions, emphasizing state-level differences. The American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association, representing 3.7 million members, did not comment on the findings. The shift in education policy—from federal accountability to expanded school choice—has also weakened union dominance in some states. Researchers stress the need to recognize unions as diverse actors rather than a monolith, providing policymakers with data on their varying impacts across states.