Pro-lockdown union head mocked for her concern over school closures

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten last week was roundly criticized after she lamented about the damage children are suffering from school closures during the pandemic when it was Weingarten herself who fought to keep schools closed. 

“Our kids are in crisis,” Weingarten said in a Tuesday discussion on Facebook Live. “'And we had a mental health crisis before COVID - but for two years of disruption, two years of looking at the screens, two years of not having a normal kind of routine and rhythm, recovery is really tough.” 

“It's not a shock that a lot of kids, frankly a lot of adults, are still under tremendous stress and anxiety,” she added. 

Weingarten is known for not only promoting lockdowns, but also for successfully lobbying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep schools closed even as evidence showed schools were not at risk for spreading COVID-19. 

Emails obtained by the New York Post showed that the country’s second-largest teacher’s union heavily influenced the CDC’s school re-opening guidelines, which in some places included the union’s suggestions nearly verbatim. While the CDC had reportedly been ready to recommend that schools re-open safely, it changed its guidance dramatically to make no clear recommendation after talks with Weingarten. 

Weingarten also attacked Jewish parents who pushed for re-opening schools, saying they were part of “the ownership class” and wanted to deprive others of opportunities. 

“American Jews are now part of the ownership class,” she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Jews were immigrants from somewhere else. And they needed the right to have public education. And they needed power to have enough income and wealth for their families that they could put their kids through college and their kids could do better than they have done. Both economic opportunity through the labor movement and an educational opportunity through public education were key for Jews to go from the working class to the ownership class.” 

She then accused Jewish parents of trying to undercut others. 

“What I hear when I hear that question is that those who are in the ownership class now want to take that ladder of opportunity away from those who do not have it. Am I saying that everything we do is right? No. Are people in Los Angeles fearful? Yes.” 

Weingarten went on to say that teachers are “scared” of returning to in-person teaching. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) reported that pass rates declined significantly in 2020-21 compared to the 2018-19 school year, resulting in drops in overall test scores. According to the report, “these declines were larger in school districts with less in-person instruction.”   

Now, Weingarten is being mocked for her newfound concern for children who have been negatively impacted by school closures. 

“I'm sure you'll find the culprit someday, @rweingarten.” tweeted CNN's Mary Katherine Ham. 

“Remind me again who wanted to keep schools closed,” wrote Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz. “Oh right…teacher's union boss Randi Weingarten.”

“This is such nonsense. The teachers unions pushed Biden to keep schools closed, masked our kids, and kept parents out of classrooms,” said former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. “Now they're making excuses and treating us like we don't know better.” 

“Parents, pediatricians, and mental health experts have been saying this for two years. What was Randi doing during that time? Lobbying the Biden Administration to keep schools closed and kids home. Her faux concern for our children now is insulting,” added Rep. Kevin Hurn (R-OK).