The mask mandates and their performative politics have created some strange moments in the current pandemic. They’ve managed to convince a well-known teacher union boss to support school choice.
Randi Weingarten (president of the American Federation of Teachers) tweeted Monday night a story about the Federation. Detroit News This article focuses on how parents deal with the difficulties of certain school districts in Michigan requiring that their children use masks. Janine Fogg (a mother) is the central figure of this story. She recently removed her children from public schools in Brighton. There, masks were not required. Fogg has two children who attend private schools, where all staff and students must wear masks.
Weingarten’s take? “The parent drives her kids to school where there is a mask requirement. “Masks can save lives and reduce the spread COVID-19,” she said.
A parent opts to take her kids to school where there is a mandatory mask requirement. The use of masks can save lives, and help to limit spread of diseases. #COVID https://t.co/qELdrpuweU
— Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) October 4, 2021
Weingarten may have exaggerated the effectiveness of masking in classrooms, but it’s astonishingly correct about the benefits of parents choosing the right school for their children. Fogg might not have fully understood the situation, as Fogg isn’t taking her kids to school that requires masks. She’s actually leaving public schools.
This is a decision that many parents made during the epidemic. Parents have fled to private schools in the aftermath of COVID-related closures. State lawmakers introduced numerous bills that would expand options for school choice, including charter schools and voucher programs. Both Democrats and Republicans are clear supporters of school choice, according to polls.
Weingarten normally doesn’t support giving parents greater control over education. Weingarten has attacked politicians that favor charter schools, and unjustly compared school choice advocates with segregationists.
She and her union struggled tooth and nail to stop schools being shut down during the first year after the pandemic. Even now, effective vaccines are available, unions remain a significant obstacle to full reopening. She believes schools should close for the single positive test and keep social separation at 6 feet. This is despite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention being cautious and stating that 3 feet was acceptable.
Weingarten may have seen light because of the battle over school mask requirements. This is unlikely. Instead, Weingarten seems to have forgotten temporarily that one-size-fits all education is what she wants.
The pandemic is yet another illustration of the hypocrisy and power of national leaders. Weingarten’s logic is that allowing your children to choose whether or not they attend private schools, while ensuring their safety, is admirable. But, Weingarten believes it is better to offer more options for your child so that they have the opportunity to get an education of higher quality. Any Racism is a reason why public schools cannot be opened for education.