The state of teacher union power | Episode 1019 of The Education Gadfly Show

Melissa Arnold Lyon joins The Education Gadfly Show to discuss Fordham’s new report, A Crowded Table: Teacher Union Strength in 2026, and what has changed in state education politics since Fordham’s 2012 analysis of teacher union power. How influential are teacher unions today, where are they strongest, and what does a more crowded political landscape mean for education policy?

Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines new research on the Common Core State Standards and their effects on achievement beyond math and English language arts.

Recommended content:

• A Crowded Table: Teacher Union Strength in 2026 —Melissa Arnold Lyon, Sandy Frost Waldron, and Rebecca Jacobsen, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison —Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Janie Scull, and Dara Zeehandelaar Shaw, Ph.D., Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Teachers’ Unions and Collective Bargaining —Bradley D. Marianno, Live Handbook: Education Policy Research, an initiative of AEFP
• The unintended effects of the Common Core State Standards on non-targeted subjects — Benjamin W. Arold, and M. Danish Shakeel, ScienceDirect (2026)

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