The Indiana Public Charter Schools Association just signed on to a new partnership with the Association of American Educators (AAE) to insure teachers in that state’s charter schools have good representation and protection without the encumbrances the standard teachers’ unions in this country create.

Indiana’s charter school teachers can join the AAE for the low price of just $15 per month, which is far below the dues charged by the Kentucky Education Association.

The AAE says it provides members with benefits and services such as teacher scholarships and classroom grants. It also provides an organizational voice on education policy issues that affect the classroom and provides professional liability insurance, as well.

Some things the AAE does not do include spending huge amounts on “the partisan politics and non-educational agendas of the teacher labor unions.” The AAE also does not “endorse, support or contribute to any political cause or candidacy.” Standard teachers unions spend a fortune on those activities, sometimes pushing agendas that many teachers in Kentucky quietly oppose.

Could the AAE offer an attractive alternative for Kentucky’s public school teachers? It’s a question a lot of our teachers may want to start asking themselves.