Protect The Public’s Trust released a report Tuesday on the U.S. Department of Education and their “constant contact” with the two largest teachers unions in the country — the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.

The report included documents received in a Freedom of Information Act request that detailed the relationship between union officials and high-level Department of Education administrators. The emails revealed that Department of Education administrators talked with union officials as much as twice per week.

“These documents reveal what everyone already knew, that the teachers’ unions are driving the Department of Education bus,” Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, said in a news release. “While the unions could not have received better access had they had an office in the building, the Department completely botched an attempt to create a parent advisory group. The sad reality is that parents may be spending more time discussing education policy with FBI agents monitoring their discussions at school board meetings than with the Department of Education.”

[The teachers unions certainly drove government shutdown policy, especially at the CDC. — Ed]