Teachers Unions Vow To Support Members Over Parents And Kids
It’s the power of the unions versus the power of the people. In this instance, it is teachers’ unions taking sides against parents and stuck in the middle, once again, are our children. The battle, which began last summer in the state of Rhode Island, is about Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in schools, who is teaching it, and if they (teachers) should enjoy the “protection” of teachers’ unions.
It’s the power of the unions versus the power of the people. In this instance, it is teachers’ unions taking sides against parents and stuck in the middle, once again, are our children. The battle, which began last summer in the state of Rhode Island, is about Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in schools, who is teaching it, and if they (teachers) should enjoy the “protection” of teachers’ unions.
Last summer, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the country’s second-largest teacher’s union, president Randi Weingarten made it a point to first claim that CRT wasn’t even being taught in schools. Then she went on to say that she vows to fight “culture warriors” who are “bullying teachers.” Puzzling.
Weingarten spoke at a virtual AFT conference last summer to call the fight against critical race theory in schools a Republican “culture campaign” saying that Republicans were trying to suppress the truth, “limit learning and stoke fears about our public schools.” Opponents of these divisive teachings have been, and continue to, try to get banned any lessons that claim one group is racist over another. Although the teachers union leader claims CRT isn’t being taught in schools, scholars claim that CRT doesn’t teach those things – a specific race being inherently racist – but instead teaches how race has become ingrained into our vast history.
According to teachers union leader Weingarten, though, “Let’s be clear: critical race theory is not taught in elementary schools or high schools. It’s a method of examination taught in law school and college that helps analyze whether systemic racism exists — and, in particular, whether it has an effect on law and public policy,” Weingarten said to CBS News. “But culture warriors are labeling any discussion of race, racism, or discrimination as CRT to try to make it toxic. They are bullying teachers and trying to stop us from teaching students accurate history.”
Another CRT-being-taught-in-school denier, Jazmyne Owens of New America, says CRT isn’t taught in elementary or secondary schools because “it is based in legal theory,” which is why it is seen more at the college levels. Owens also feels that this wave of legislation being seen against CRT “is really aimed at erasing and whitewashing American history.”
Teachers’ union leader Weingarten claims putting these restrictions on teachers would eventually harm students. “These culture warriors want to deprive students of a robust understanding of our common history,” she said. “This will put students at a disadvantage in life by knocking a big hole in their understanding of our country and the world.” So then, this begs the question – why the lawsuit?
Nicole Solas is a stay-at-home mom in the tiny town of South Kensington, Rhode Island. Her story and eventual fight are jaw-dropping. Her fight began as a mother concerned with what was being taught to her daughter in the public school she was enrolled in and ended up with her going toe-to-toe with the most powerful teachers union. As Solas explains it, she knew going in that the school, as Solas says, “pledged allegiance to Black Lives Matter.” She explained the school district was getting rid of what they considered to be systemic inequities, claiming that they, the district, were systemically racist.
So, a year later when she went to enroll her daughter in kindergarten, she wanted to know if the school actually followed through with its promise. She wanted to know if they would be learning anything CRT-related such as anti-racism and gender ideology. The principal explained to her, concerning gender ideology, that the school no longer calls kids boys and girls. They do not use gender terminology in class. She said they actually sprinkle in gender identity values into the teachings at grade-appropriate levels.
As for CRT in the school, Solas said in her daughter’s kindergarten class, they asked the question to the kids, “What could have been done differently on the first Thanksgiving?” So Solas asked for more information. She wanted to know what exactly was being taught. The information she asked for was public information but there was a process she needed to follow. The more she dug, the worse it got.
When requesting information such as this, you must go through the proper channels. The district made it easy for her to request the information, as it was for public consumption, but they also made it difficult to obtain. Financially speaking, Solas knew there was trouble when she got a $74,000 price tag. Then things got worse. Little did she know a teachers union was lurking right around the corner.
She was threatened by the school board with a lawsuit. They claimed that she was asking too many questions. Her pushing for answers may jeopardize teachers. What? Eventually, though, the district backed away from the lawsuit. Then two months later, the National Education Association (NEA), the largest and most powerful teacher’s union in the country, came knocking on her door and they were ready for war.
Solas was handed a lawsuit by the teacher’s union. She was also given a temporary restraining order not to obtain the information she was seeking. Mind you, these were public records. She was well within her rights, any parents’ rights, to get what she asked for.
But the powerful teacher’s union wasn’t backing down. And this is where they made a huge boo-boo. In paragraphs 67 and 70 of the complaint, which can be read here, they admitted to something that AFT President Weingarten had been vehemently denying for months – critical race theory being taught in schools.
To date, there has been no judge’s decision in this matter. While Solas waits, so does the rest of America. Some, like Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, have vowed to fight back against teachers’ unions and divisive content being taught in schools. Both Governors have introduced bills to combat these teachings. In fact, Gov. Youngkin has gone so far as to even set up a tip line so parents can report if their kids are being taught CRT in class.
This fight is not going anywhere. Battlelines have been drawn. Legislature is becoming more and more involved, backing parents and their rights to decide what is best for their children. Teachers’ unions are doing what they were built to do. Stand in the corner of their members. But is this the fight they want to back? Time will tell.
