WASHINGTON, D.C. – Veteran Colorado educator Jill Cullis is pulling back the curtain on how teachers unions exploit teachers, taking their hard-earned money for political gain and abandoning students, in a new profile for Independent Women Features (IW Features), the grassroots storytelling and original journalism division of Independent Women. 

“If I could totally disband the teachers union, I would do that,” said Cullis, who taught in Colorado public schools for more than 30 years.

When Cullis became a teacher, her values led her to opt out of her local teachers union. She knew that the unions supported left-wing causes—to the tune of millions of dollars each year—and she did not want part of her paycheck going toward partisan politics.

“I work too hard for my money,” Cullis explained to IW Features. “I don’t want my money going to causes and candidates that I don’t support. If I want to support that candidate, I’ll go ahead and use my own money and my own time to support that candidate.”

Despite repeated pressure from the unions, Cullis became a lifeline for other teachers who wanted to uphold their values, and she became known as the number one recruiter for helping teachers opt out of the unions. 

“[The union] would pressure me every fall,” Cullis told IW Features. “They’d say, ‘Jill, do you want to join the union?’ I’d go, ‘Look, I have one question. Does my money go to [the Colorado Education Association] and [the National Education Association]?’ And they’d say, ‘Well, of course it does.’ And I would say, ‘No, thank you.’”

While other teachers were rallying at the state capitol, Cullis said she spent her time putting students first by not participating in union-organized walkouts, but rather continuing work as usual.

“What about that single mom … [who’s] now got to stay home from her job as a waitress to take care of her kids because there’s no longer any school?” asked Cullis. “So, mom is having to lose a day’s worth of pay while the teachers go down and protest at the state capitol.”

Despite a lack of support from her district, Cullis stood up for what she believed in for years. In 2021, as the political situation in her school district grew more and more tense, Cullis said she was finally pushed into retirement because of increasing hostility, especially from the school principal, Robert Fay.

After she retired, Cullis learned that Fay had asked the human resources director how he could get rid of Cullis, despite her tenured status. But Fay didn’t have a concrete reason for wanting her fired: “It’s her beliefs,” the principal told HR, Cullis alleges. 

Even though she decided to retire in the face of a hostile workplace, Cullis continues her more than three-decade career, working for an education nonprofit and standing firm in her convictions. 

Read Jill Cullis’ full profile here: ‘If I Could Totally Disband the Teachers Union, I Would’: Why This Veteran Public Educator Never Joined the Union

Andrea Mew, IW Features managing editor, said: “Jill Cullis is proof that you don’t need to fit the union mold to be a great educator—you need to have the right priorities. For decades, Jill put her students first, even when it meant standing alone against a powerful political machine. At IW Features, we’re proud to spotlight women like Jill who demonstrate how real courage in education isn’t found in partisan union rallies, it’s in the classroom, setting students up for success no matter the cost.”

Neeraja Deshpande, policy analyst at Independent Women, said: “Jill’s story shows that while unions may advertise themselves as helping teachers, they actually do the exact opposite, and will punish any teacher who dares dissent. Unions are bad for students, yes, but it’s important to keep in mind that they are bad for teachers too and do not have teachers’ best interests in mind.”

Direct media inquiries and booking requests to [email protected]. 

###

www.independentwomen.com
Independent Women advances policies that actually preserve and advance opportunity and well-being.

www.IWFeatures.com
Through grassroots storytelling and original journalism, IW Features provides unique and personal insight into the biggest issues facing Americans.