Coincidence? I doubt it.
Roll Call revealed large teachers unions increased their donations to Democrats when Congress debated reopening schools earlier this year.
The teachers unions were the loudest force behind schools remaining closed this school year, especially in Chicago.
Congress debated the coronavirus relief package in early February. It included a Republican proposal that schools receiving federal funding must reopen after the teachers get their vaccines.
The Democrats unanimously voted to block it. At the same time:
The American Federation of Teachers political action committee gave $1.6 million to congressional candidates and committees, including $1 million to House Majority PAC, a super PAC that boosts Democratic candidates, a CQ Roll Call analysis of federal filings showed. The same group disclosed giving just $45,000 to federal committees in the first three months of 2019, the same point in the two-year election cycle.The National Education Association’s PAC increased its federal donations by 38 percent, shelling out $371,000 in this year’s first quarter compared with $269,000 in the same period of 2019.
I don’t believe in coincidences, especially when it comes to politicians.
AFT’s president tried to explain why the large donations just happened to take place during that time:
Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7-million-member AFT, said in a statement that the 2022 elections “will be a vitally important cycle, and that’s why the AFT moved earlier than usual, mindful of the challenges posed by the pandemic, to ensure our long-term allies could establish a footprint.”“We will continue our staunch support for candidates who help Americans thrive: by creating opportunity and equity through public education (from pre-K through college), voting rights and labor rights — the three great opportunity agents working people have to get ahead,” she added.
The Democrats and unions remain tone-deaf. They seriously think they are on the “winning side of the debate” concerning reopening schools:
“Democrats in Congress provided $130 billion in the American Rescue Plan to safely reopen our nation’s schools and support state-level education agencies. Every single Republican voted against this critical funding that is helping school leaders return to educating young people,” said DCCC spokesperson Chris Taylor. “Just like teachers, Democrats in Congress are focused on delivering for American families. Our teachers and families won’t forget next November that House Democrats had their backs and Republicans in Congress abandoned them in the middle of a pandemic.”
Yeah, except parents spoke out and begged schools to reopen. We saw private and charter schools open in September with few problems. Catholic schools in New York City became overwhelmed with applications because parents did not want their children to fall behind.
Oh, those parents realized their children would receive a much better education so it’s doubtful that a lot will return to the public schools.
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