American Parents Reject Randi Weingarten and Leftist Schooling

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), led by Randi Weingarten, commissioned a poll that returned some troubling results for the left. From critical race theory (CRT) to the amount of influence parents have in their children’s lives, the survey showed a nation discontent with how leftist unions and statist school boards are handling public education.

By the Numbers

The poll, which was conducted in seven battleground states by Hart Research Associates, showed slightly more support for Republicans than Democrats. Education was listed as very, if not one of the most, important issues behind how 68% of respondents plan to vote in the midterms, and the GOP came out just slightly ahead of Democrats in every polling question. Republicans polled higher for the Senate at 45%-42%, state governors at 46%-43%, and congressional elections at 47%-41%. When asked which party respondents had more confidence in dealing with education in general, Republicans edged ahead 39%-38%.

Though the reasons varied according to political ideology, 60% said they were dissatisfied with how racial issues are presented in schools. The importance of teaching history was cited by 33% of them, while just 19% said schools should be teaching more on race. However, 20% said they were dissatisfied because lessons on race are distorted, and 18% called teaching about race divisive.

Half the voters surveyed said they weren’t satisfied with “the amount of say that parents have in what their children are taught,” and when it comes to sexuality and gender identity, 58% were unhappy. School districts spend too much time on these topics, according to 43%, while just 21% wished the issues were given more attention.

Even teachers are having a hard time, it seems. Researchers found that 40% of AFT members indicated they might resign in the next two years. A whopping three-quarters said they wouldn’t recommend the profession to others.

Randi Weingarten Faces the Music

AFT President Randi Weingarten acknowledged the poll in a press release but deflected on the various controversies, choosing instead to extol the efforts of union members. “AFT members were on the frontlines of the first wave of the pandemic, but in many ways the last year was even harder,” she said. “Whether it was mask wars, culture wars, the war on truth, or the devastation in Uvalde, members sacrificed and struggled and carried their schools and their students through the most difficult days of their lives.”

Weingarten is expected to address the matter at the union’s convention in Boston later today, July 21. According to NBC News, she’s expected to accuse “extremist politicians” of driving a wedge between parents and teachers by banning books, censoring curriculum, and politicizing education. That falls in line with a memo penned by Democratic pollsters Guy Molyneux, Geoff Garin, and Alicia Williams. They suggest progressives “frame Republicans as politicizing education; emphasize Democrats’ preference for investing in schools; highlight the most extreme proposals from conservatives; and reinforce the idea that parents have an important role in ensuring their kids get a good education.”

These tactics are already in use by Democrats, and one of the most popular during the debates on CRT and transgender ideology was to simply deny the topics were introduced in the classroom at all. Failing that, the answer was to deflect and accuse conservatives of trying to suppress the negative aspects of America’s history concerning race. In other situations, however, Democrats have taken a different approach, attempting to cow parents into silence. The National School Board Association (NSBA) came under fire when it was revealed it had colluded with the Justice Department to label protesting parents as “domestic terrorists.” This didn’t go over well with the public, and a devastating number of state school boards withdrew from the national organization. Progressives found themselves in an even more precarious situation when Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, along with other high-profile Democrats, suggested parents should not have a say in their children’s education.

As it turns out, a significant percentage of Americans don’t want to see their kids indoctrinated by the school system. Moreover, they don’t exactly appreciate being told their voices are not worthy of being heard. To put it simply, it doesn’t look good for the left when it comes to education.

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