Tipsheet

As People Dare to Criticize Teachers Unions, Randi Weingarten 'Plays the Victim'

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  November 15, 2023 2:30 PM

Last week, The Hill released their "Powerful Women Over 50" list, with Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) being included. For such a supposedly "powerful" woman, though, Weingarten can't seem to handle criticisms thrown at her, no matter how valid.

When speaking with Julia Manchester, the national correspondent for The Hill, Weingarten was asked about  the criticism she's faced from "rather loud" critics. "How do you deal with that very public criticism," Manchester asked a laughing Weingarten.

"If it was on the level, it would be different," Weingarten claimed to start off her response. What she had to say next, though, didn't inspire confidence that that would actually be the case. "But we know about it, is it is an intention to undermine the very institution that help educate kids, protect democracy and pluralism in this country, and help people have a better shot at the American dream."

Teachers unions, have been sharply criticized, though, because they don't actually "help educate kids." From the distraction caused by focusing on issues like Critical Race Theory (CRT) and decrying supposed book bans, as well as pushing to keep schools closed during COVID-19 lockdowns, AFT has fallen short. Further, Weingarten's own X account is full of poltiical issues not related to "help[ing] educate kids."

"All of us do stupid things, and you know, I've done stupid things and I made misjudgments," Weingarten continued on, without giving examples. "But how do you actually take someone who from April 2020 tried reopen schools because we knew it was important, but said 'they have to reopen safely, so we protect everyone,' just like we tried to protect everyone from, you know, gun violence, from respitory issues. How do you lie about me like that," Weingarten lamented.

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Back in April, Weingarten gave particularly embarrassing testimony before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. At that hearing,  as Madeline covered at the time, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) pointed out how Weingarten's AFT actually played a role in schools being closed longer than they should have. 

Madeline's write-up also made mention of an editorial from The Wall Street Journal in August 2020 that made fitting points not just on COVID, but on how unions in general operate.

"For most Americans the coronavirus is a scourge. But teachers unions seem to think it’s also an opportunity—to squeeze more money from taxpayers and put their private and public charter school competition out of business," the editorial opened with, going on to mention Weingarten by name and how she threatened "safety strikes."

"The phrase for this is political extortion," the editorial continued, speaking about union demands. "Rather than work to open schools safely, the unions are issuing ultimatums and threatening strikes until they are granted their ideological wish list. Children, who would have to endure more lost instruction, are their hostages."

"If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that Americans are getting a closer look at the true, self-interested character of today’s teachers unions. They are allies of the political left," the editorial wrote towatds the end. "And they wield monopoly power that they are now using to coerce parents and taxpayers to dance to their agenda if they want their children to learn."

As Weingarten continued her conversation with Manchester, she pointed out "what I learned was they'll smear, because they're trying to divide and create mistrust and distrust," though it looks like the teachers unions have already done that all on their own. "And we just have to be happy warriors about doing the right things for kids," Weingarten claimed, all with a straight face.

"Does it bother me sometimes? Of course it bothers me. But at the end of the day, I have amazing members, and what's happened is, we can't--if I let them bully me, what about every educator? What about every worker? What about every vulnerable student?"

"And the other thing I've come to learn, is that if you're a member of a minority group--look, there's lots of anti-semitism. I happen to be, you know, married to a rabbi, and I happen to really believe in my faith. And there's a lot of homophobia. And I happen to be the first out lesbian as a labor leader in the country, ever." she continued to share, as if that had anything to do with the criticisms about how teachers unions are not serving children. 

"And so this kind of attack of identity, that's all rolled into it too," she claimed.

This wasn't the only newsworthy moment that Weingarten has had in recent days, though. Far from it. On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of people showed up on the National Mall for the "Stand With Israel" event. This was far larger than the initial figure of tens of thousands. 

Weingarten reposted a video of Jewish men praying, asking "Where are the women?" As Community Notes, though, along with the 1,300 quoted reposts pointed out, Orthodox Jewish men and women pray separately together. Many added that since she is indeed married to a rabbi, Weingarten should  know better.

In response to the one reply that Weingarten received, she claimed that women "seemed invisible," adding "my Judaism is more egalitarian" and that "I find the anger on a day that was about inclusivity bemusing." Just as she does with her other posts, Weingarten restricted replies.