Originally published June 22, 2023 9:41 am PDT
Randi Weingarten, an advocate of school closures and other COVID-19 mandates, has been named a member of the Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council, announced Wednesday.
Currently serving as the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teachers’ union in the country, Weingarten was instrumental in shaping COVID policies in academic settings.
The Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council was established in 2022 by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
Its key role includes offering guidance to Mayorkas on matters of research, career development, partnership opportunities, and campus safety and security.
Mayorkas praised the council, stating, “Leaders of our academic institutions and campus life have a great deal to offer in helping us counter the evolving and emerging threats to the homeland.”
He further noted that the council assists the department in its mission to “safeguard the American people, and help our country think through and prepare for whatever threats lie ahead.”
Weingarten’s association with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began when the Biden administration’s transition team initiated contact with the AFT, The Daily Signal notes.
During her tenure, she had a significant influence on the pandemic measures imposed in schools.
Emails reveal that AFT officials and Weingarten provided input on operational strategies for the CDC, including recommendations to keep schools closed during the entire 2020-21 academic year and requiring students as young as preschoolers to wear face masks.
The AFT’s contribution to these policies was acknowledged by the union in correspondence with the CDC, with the union expressing gratitude for the CDC’s “responsiveness to the suggestions made by Randi.”
The AFT further positioned itself as a “thought partner” in crafting CDC guidelines during the health crisis.
Despite these strategies aiming to curb the pandemic, some critics argue they’ve had harmful consequences on children, causing problems such as desocialization, learning deficits, depression, and an increased likelihood of suicide, even though children in the K-12 age group have the least risk of infection, Daily Signal points out.
Additionally, the AFT has been pushing for the introduction of critical race theory (CRT) in educational curricula.
Weingarten, in fact, pledged her union’s backing for educators who teach CRT, even in violation of state laws.
Weingarten’s new role on a federal advisory group marks a new chapter in her career, as she continues to influence policies at the highest levels of education and security.
