Wednesday, May 3, 2023

FOX NEWS CONTINUES TO PILE ON AFT LEADER RANDI WEINGARTEN


THE RIGHT WING PROPAGANDA ORGAN SINCE 1996

FOX NEWS CONTINUES TO PILE ON AFT LEADER RANDI WEINGARTEN 

In a recent Congressional hearing, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin decided to take a swing at American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten for her supposed role in school closings during the COVID pandemic. But let's be real, we all know who the real culprit is here: Fox News.

Youngkin accused Weingarten of keeping schools shut and blamed her for Virginia's educational decline. However, Weingarten testified that the Biden transition team was the first to contact her union for guidance on school closures during the pandemic. So, who's really to blame here?

But it's not just Youngkin who's attacking Weingarten. Trump administration education secretary Betsy Devos accused her of "revisionist history," and even Democrat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called out her testimony. It seems like everyone wants to point fingers, but no one wants to take responsibility for the disastrous effects of the pandemic on our education system.

Let's not forget that remote learning was not a substitute for opening schools, as Weingarten pointed out during her testimony. Yet, Youngkin and other critics seem to ignore this fact and instead blame the teachers union for everything.

But what about the impact of school closures on children's mental health and academic performance? According to data released by the National Center for Education Statistics, 70% of U.S. public schools have reported an increase in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic. And math scores saw their largest decreases ever in the aftermath of COVID, while reading scores dropped to levels not seen since 1992 for fourth and eighth graders across the country.

So, while Youngkin and others may want to blame Weingarten and the teachers union, the real issue here is the lack of support and resources provided to schools during the pandemic. And let's not forget about Fox News, which has become nothing more than a propaganda organ for the MAGA right wing.

It's time to stop pointing fingers and start taking action to support our education system and our children. As Weingarten said during her testimony, "We spent every day from February on trying to get schools open." Let's focus on solutions instead of scapegoats. And let's give credit where credit is due – Randi Weingarten deserves praise for her tireless efforts to support education during these challenging times.

Virginia governor blasts teachers' union boss over lockdown history rewrite attempt: 'Can't spin' her way out https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/virginia-governor-blasts-teachers-union-boss-lockdown-history-rewrite-attempt #FoxBusiness