Teachers Union President Admits Remote Learning Contributed to ‘Mental Health Crisis’ After Two Years of School Closures

Zachary LeemanMay 4th, 2022, 1:34 pm
 
Randi Weingarten Says Remote Learning Contributes to 'Mental Health Crisis'

Screenshot via YouTube

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten is facing backlash from longtime critics after she acknowledged that the remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to a “mental health crisis” among youths, something critics of school closures have long argued.

“Our kids are in crisis,” Weingarten said in a clip from an AFT event shared by school choice advocate Corey A. DeAngelis on Thursday. “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 comments were made during an event called “Social Media Is Having a Negative Effect on Kids and Teens.” Weingarten said it’s “not a shock” teachers and students are still under extreme stress from ever-changing Covid policies in schools.

Weingarten’s critics found this acknowledgement especially noteworthy, considering she is among those who have advocated for school closures and stringent safety measures in the past, though she’s recently begun to change her tune. In January of this year, she tweeted that in-person learning is better, but added that a spike in Covid cases meant the proper safety measures weren’t in place for it.

At the beginning of the pandemic in July of 2020, Weingarten similarly said the funding was not in place to reopen schools.

Critics piled on Weingarten’s acknowledgment of school closures negatively impacting students by highlighting her past comments.

“I’m sure you’ll find the culprit someday,” CNN’s Mary Katherine Ham tweeted to Weingarten.

“Parents, pediatricians, and mental health experts have been saying this for two years. What was Randi doing during that time? Lobbying the Biden Administration to keep schools closed and kids home. Her faux concern for our children now is insulting,” Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) added.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also pointed blame on Weingarten. “Remind me again who wanted to keep schools closed,” the senator tweeted.

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Zachary Leeman

Zachary Leeman covered pop culture and politics at outlets such as Breitbart, LifeZette, BizPac Review, HollywoodinToto, and others. He is the author of the novel Nigh. He joined Mediaite in 2022.