Is this how the world ends? With an explosive turn of rhetoric by none other than the head of America’s teacher’s union, Randi Weingarten, that is. Okay, it may not be the end of the world, but it’s definitely a major twist when the all-powerful union head declares that remote learning has caused a mental health crisis among our kids.
The about-face came during a Facebook Live event honoring Mental Health awareness month entitled: ‘Social Media is Having Negative Effects on Kids and Teens’.
Weingarten, who had been one of the biggest advocates for extending remote learning, stated her speech by declaring, “Our kids are in crisis. And we had a mental health crisis before COVID – but for two years of disruption, two years of looking at the screens, two years of not having a normal kind of routine and rhythm, recovery is really tough.”
The teacher’s union head continued, “It’s not a shock that a lot of kids, frankly a lot of adults, are still under tremendous stress and anxiety.”
Of course, it’s hard to declare her an expert at this point, especially after she publicly backed remote learning in January of 2021 and even pushed the CDC to include language in their directions to push schools not to reopen.
In fact, it was not until May of last year that she finally began to flip on her initial stance, saying, “There is no doubt: Schools must be open. In person. Five days a week. With the space and facilities to do so. We know that’s how kids learn best and that prolonged isolation is harmful.”
Weingarten’s move this week was described by Corey DeAngelis, national director of research at the American Federation for Children, as “peak gaslighting.”
DeAngelis told FOX News, “Teachers unions fought to keep public schools closed for over a year. At least six studies have found that school districts with stronger teachers unions were significantly less likely to reopen in person. These union-induced school closures hurt kids socially, mentally, and academically.”
He continued, “Randi Weingarten’s union even lobbied the CDC on school reopening guidance to prolong school closures. Teachers unions constantly engaged in fear mongering and hypocrisy, while private schools, daycares, and other businesses reopened.”
Thank God everyone is finally getting behind our children getting back to their normal lives with friends and social interactions. Even if Weingarten has been part of the problem, it’s a good thing that her union is finally backing off their protests. Do you think our children will be able to get back to normal after everything they went through the last few years?
