District 3 Councilman Nathan Volke Calls for Release of Teachers Union Candidate Questionnaire

Anne Arundel County District 3 Councilman Nathan Volke is calling on candidates endorsed by the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County to publicly release questionnaires they completed as part of the union’s endorsement process, arguing that voters should be able to see where those candidates stand on teacher strikes, employee raises, contract negotiations and education funding.

In a social media post, Councilman Volke opened by raising a question about whether teachers in Anne Arundel County should be permitted to strike in a way that could result in schools closing.

“Should teachers in Anne Arundel County be allowed to strike and close schools?” Councilman Volke wrote.

According to the councilman, every Democratic candidate endorsed by TAAAC this year was asked that question as part of the endorsement process, but the candidates’ individual answers have not been made public.

Councilman Volke also challenged the political nature of the union’s endorsements.

“This isn’t a teachers’ endorsement. It’s a party endorsement,” he wrote.

He pointed to the 2022 election cycle, saying TAAAC endorsed the Democratic candidate for county executive and identified Republican members of the County Council as political opposition.

Councilman Volke attributed that divide, in part, to Republican council members voting against county budgets that he said increased residents’ income and property taxes.

He then returned specifically to the issue of teacher strikes, arguing that the subject is significant to the union’s political advocacy and endorsement decisions.

“For TAAAC, the right to strike isn’t a side issue,” Councilman Volke wrote.

According to his post, TAAAC rallied in Annapolis this year in support of legislation that would provide teachers with the right to strike, although that effort was unsuccessful. He also said the union, while announcing its endorsement of one County Council candidate, highlighted that candidate’s willingness to fight for right-to-strike legislation.

Councilman Volke said the questionnaire used during TAAAC’s endorsement process addresses several other policy and budget issues as well.

According to the post, candidates are asked whether they would commit to employee raises that keep pace with inflation each year, how they would vote on opening contract negotiations to the public and how they would pay for the commitments they support.

The councilman included the questionnaire with his social media announcement so the public could review the questions for themselves.

He argued that because TAAAC’s endorsements will appear on campaign materials, mailers and sample ballots, voters should also be able to examine the answers candidates provided before receiving the union’s support.

“TAAAC will be trumpeting its endorsement on mailers and sample ballots all over Anne Arundel County this Fall,” Councilman Volke wrote. “Voters deserve to know what it required candidates to get on the ‘Apple Ballot.’”

He further said TAAAC’s own rules allow candidate responses to be made public.

“Every endorsed candidate should release their questionnaire, and TAAAC should publish them too,” he wrote.

Councilman Volke concluded his announcement by laying out his own positions “on the record,” beginning with the issue that opened his post.

“I oppose teacher strikes that close schools on families,” he wrote.

He also pointed to his budget record, saying he voted against tax increases during the FY2020 and FY2025 budget processes.

Councilman Volke additionally cited a County Council vote involving $745,000 in student transportation funding. He said he voted, with support from Democratic council members, to prevent the school board from removing that money from student transportation at a time when, in his characterization, the bus system was failing and needed reform.

On labor negotiations, the councilman said he supports opening the process to greater public scrutiny.

“I support open negotiations so taxpayers can see how their money is spent,” he wrote.

Councilman Volke closed his statement by drawing a comparison between the positions he has publicly taken and the questionnaire responses he is asking endorsed candidates to release.

“My record and positions are public,” he wrote. “Theirs should be too.”

The statements regarding TAAAC’s endorsement process, political activity, questionnaire and the positions of endorsed candidates reflect Councilman Volke’s characterization in his social media post. Report Annapolis News will seek comment from the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County regarding the issues raised by Councilman Volke.