AFT President Randi Weingarten tells MSNBC 'we're going to try to open up schools' after CDC's 'curveball'

It was at the end of last month when American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten tweeted that the union had been trying to reopen schools safely since April of 2020 — with “safely” doing a lot of heavy lifting there. It just happened that classrooms just weren’t safe enough for union members to re-enter for the entire school year.

Now that the CDC has once again flip-flopped and recommended that everyone in K-12 wear masks this fall, vaccinated or not, Weingarten says that the union is “going to try to open up schools.” We knew there was going to be a hedge when she retweeted an article in late June adding that, as workers, teachers need to be prepared to adapt as the Delta variant develops.

Teacher union head Randi Weingarten won't say whether or not schools should open in the fall. pic.twitter.com/DvUMtziBdd

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) July 28, 2021

There it is https://t.co/H1UOGdcZqn

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) July 28, 2021

Thank you for putting a face on the downfall of American education

— Dan (@Danielscott315) July 28, 2021

First class tyrant

— Michael Paradou (@ParadouMichael) July 28, 2021

Public sector unions are political vehicles to trade union concessions for votes. This lady has the power of all union members votes behind her. She is perhaps the most powerful person in public education, she literally writes the CDC guidelines. She has no kids, but she decides

— obi wan (@obiwan61767474) July 28, 2021

Randi Weingarten has no children, yet she is the one pulling the strings on our kids’ lives.

— Josemaría Piulada (@txiokatu) July 28, 2021

She’s evil.

— Mike Cortese (@drebin25) July 28, 2021

Public menace.

— Bob Smalser (@spraguepond) July 28, 2021

She is a pile of garbage.

— Your Mask is Useless (@maskson247) July 28, 2021

I never want to see or hear from this woman again in my life. Ever! pic.twitter.com/zQkNhqzwno

— Seamus – Missing the Banned (@ff_nerdy) July 28, 2021

Told you. This manufactured panic over the "delta variant" is a pretense for teachers unions staying home another year. And then demanding billions more in taxpayer dollars before they'll even consider setting foot in a classroom.

— AdamInHTownTX (Sixteen Cents Richer) (@AdamInHTownTX) July 28, 2021

Randi Weingarten going full Leeeeeroy Jenkins on every district currently planning their school openings next month https://t.co/Z1kTVBhkl7

— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) July 28, 2021

“we’re going to try” — and she’s citing the CDC mask decision as she wavers https://t.co/rLVlPvoYtT

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 28, 2021

Author of the CDC guidelines.

— J. Scott McPhee (@JScottMcPhee) July 28, 2021

Sounds to me like @rweingarten wants her members to get paid to stay home and Zoom it in. The delta variant, which may have been here long ago, is not being exploited. Schools start in a few weeks in some parts of the county. Other parts in a little more than a month.

— Aging In Place (@advisorrob) July 28, 2021

It's amazing that our district in Texas went back in person all last school year and about to start again. It can be done but they don't want it done. It's shameful and criminal in my eyes.

— Lady Lubbock (@texastechgirl70) July 28, 2021

Defund. https://t.co/xfuep8Xsxb

— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) July 28, 2021

Is she going to try as hard to open the schools this fall as she did last April?

Schools will open everywhere except where Randi has influence, just like they did last year. https://t.co/jPb6RaDjne

— Karol Markowicz (@karol) July 28, 2021

In red states, the understanding of science is better, and the COVID is no worse. Consider moving. https://t.co/IGxS67Y08N

— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) July 28, 2021

Related:

AFT's Randi Weingarten claims to listen to 'science and evidence' while arguing for school COVID19 policy supported by neither science nor evidence https://t.co/efcXjscrvF

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 28, 2021