When a school district’s union speaks, it’s often billed as the voice of the teachers.

Not so fast.

Out of Colorado’s 179 school districts, fewer than 40 are formally “unionized” through collective-bargaining, or “master” agreements, in which unions negotiate pay, benefits and other matters on behalf of all teachers. Some districts agree to memorandums of understanding similar to collective bargaining.

The majority of districts aren’t unionized at all. Sure, many districts have union affiliates, but they function more like clubs. And many teachers join because they’re led to believe they need the liability policies unions provide. It’s worth noting that comparable policies offered by the Professional Association of Colorado Educators, the Association of American Educators and the Teacher Freedom Alliance are $20 a month or even free. It’s a lot less than the $70 per month for membership dues in unionized Denver, where dues are automatically deducted from teacher pay.

What’s really noteworthy is that even in some of Colorado’s largest school districts, union membership appears to be in decline. In some cases, it’s surprisingly low. 

As The Gazette’s Jimmy Sengenberger pointed out in his column last week, barely 30% of teachers in Jeffco Schools — Colorado’s second-largest district — are members. That’s even as the union claims to speak for all.

In a May 30 letter, associate Jeffco Schools HR chief Scott Barnes underscored that point to Jeffco’s school board as it negotiated its latest collective bargaining agreement, which was finalized in August. 

“The district bargains with a minority voice of the employee population. The majority (65–70%) of our employees have consciously opted out,” Barnes wrote. 

Then he said the quiet part out loud: 

“Why do we act as if they represent a majority voice, when clearly, they do not?”

Great question. Hard union membership data is rarely made public. The fact that it has surfaced about the state’s No. 2 district is telling — especially since Jeffco is unionized.

Up and down the Front Range, union ranks are thinning. In Colorado Springs District 11 — which recently terminated collective bargaining — only an estimated 33% of teachers are union members. In neighboring Academy District 20, it’s believed a mere 7% are members.

Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, maintains nearly 70% membership, but Douglas County’s rapidly growing suburban district sits at about 20% since ending collective bargaining in 2012.

Public support is so weak that DougCo’s union backs — and heavily funds — board candidates who aren’t openly campaigning for unionization.

Before a reform-minded majority took over Woodland Park’s school board in 2021, the small Teller County district used a “meet-and-confer” practice under an informal Conditions of Employment document — collective bargaining in all but name — despite only 30% union membership and no formal contract.

After the change of guard on its school board, the Woodland Park district ended automatic dues deductions, offered teachers alternative liability coverage and ended de facto union negotiations. 

In response, the Colorado Education Association — the umbrella over most of the state’s local teacher-union chapters — declared a “crisis.” But most Woodland Park teachers evidently weren’t alarmed; the district’s union membership has dropped to at most 15%.

When unions lose their grip on a district — when their influence and control slip — teachers wise up, revealing just how much unions rely on gimmicks and misinformation to convince teachers, parents and voters that their voice matters most.

As voters weigh school board races, dwindling membership makes one thing clear: unions don’t speak for all or even most teachers. In light of this latest peek at union membership, it seems unions speak for fewer Colorado teachers than ever.