Is Randi Weingarten Trying To Rewrite Lockdown History?

As the world grappled with the effects of the pandemic in 2020, one of the most contentious debates centered around the reopening of schools. While President Trump and many others advocated for a return to in-person learning, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, seemed to oppose the idea vehemently. But as a mother of five young children, I witnessed firsthand the consequences of prolonged school closures and I can confidently say that Weingarten bears some responsibility for the detrimental effects it had on our kids.

Falsehoods and Personal Attacks

Weingarten and others like her tried to paint proponents of school reopenings as callous, reckless, and cruel. But the truth is, as parents, we love our children more than anything. We knew that the studies coming out at the time showed that children were perfectly safe going back to schools. So it was offensive for Weingarten to gaslight us with false accusations before Congress.

Weingarten's Celebrations and Forgetfulness

Weingarten's true motives were further exposed when she celebrated a judge's decision to halt the reopening of schools in Florida. It became apparent that she was more interested in pushing her own agenda than considering the needs and well-being of our children. And when she claimed that teachers weren't ready to go back to schools, she conveniently forgot that she played a role in shaping the policies and memos put forth by the CDC. She cannot deflect responsibility for the prolonged closures when she was actively lobbying against the reopening of schools.

Influence and Collateral Damage

It is undeniable that the areas where teachers' unions held the most influence were the areas where schools stayed closed the longest. This directly affected the well-being of our children. Numerous studies from Europe and other parts of the world showed that schools could open safely, but Weingarten chose to scaremonger and shame parents who wanted their children back in the classrooms. The science was on our side, but she disregarded it, causing unnecessary damage to our children's mental health and their educational progress.

Lessons Unlearned

Just like Anthony Fauci, Weingarten refuses to acknowledge her mistakes. She never says, "I was wrong" or takes responsibility for the harm caused by her decisions. She fails to consider the collateral damage - the closed rooms, the lack of parental supervision, and the detrimental impact on minority children who couldn't access online learning. It is these children who needed an advocate the most, but Weingarten became their adversary instead.

As a mother, I am grateful that my children are blessed with married parents who can advocate for them. But our society cannot forget about the children who don't have that advantage. We must think of the single parents who had to return to work, leaving their children stuck in front of a screen with little guidance. These children needed someone to fight for their right to quality education.

The pandemic brought to light the detrimental effects of prolonged school closures. We saw a decline in mental health and a significant drop in math and reading proficiency among children. It is clear that children need advocates who prioritize their well-being and education. We need leaders who can admit when they're wrong and revise their approach based on the best available information.

Weingarten and others like her failed in their duty to be true advocates for our children. Their decisions and actions further exacerbated the challenges our children faced during the pandemic. As we move forward, it is crucial that we learn from this experience and prioritize the well-being and education of our children above all else. Let us not forget the lessons of the past, for our children's future depends on it.