A group of GOP senators are demanding responses from the Biden administration on how powerful teachers’ unions may have swayed guidelines to reopen schools as coronavirus cases dwindle.
Senators say “close coordination” between teachers’ unions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on drafting language on school reopening guidelines “raises serious concerns” about “integrity scientific “of the underlying guidelines.
They point to recently uncovered emails between the CDC and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) that show union officials were involved in shaping the new school guidelines released on February 12.
“Recently released emails show close coordination between CDC and teachers’ unions on language of guidance for reopening schools,” Senators wrote in a letter to leaders of the CDC and the Department of Health on Wednesday. and Social Services (HHS). “Political interference from special interest groups favorable to administration which is separate from science harms children who have not been educated in person for long periods of time.”
UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 16: President Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Chats with reporter ahead of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing titled Examining Irregularities in the 2020 Election , in the Dirksen building on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. Johnson is demanding responses from the CDC and HHS on the influence of teachers’ unions on new guidelines to reopen schools. (Photo by Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rand Paul of Kentucky, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri met over the letter, which was first reported by the Daily Caller. They ask CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra for further details on communications with AFT and NEA on school guidelines.
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The CDC and the White House have defended contact with teacher unions over the reopening guidelines as part of a long-standing best practice to consult with many organizations and groups that will enforce the rules.
“It is in fact a long-standing best practice for the CDC to engage with organizations and groups that will be affected by the directions and recommendations issued by the agency,” said the press secretary of the House. Blanche, Jen Psaki, earlier this month.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaks, with Everett Kelley, left, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, during the “Walk of Commitment: Get Your Knee Off Our Neck” protest racism and police brutality, on August 28, 2020, in Washington, DC. Republicans want to know what influence Weingarten has had on the Biden Administration’s school reopening policies. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Psaki said the CDC “engaged with around 50 stakeholders” in total before the guidance – not just the unions.
But Republicans remained skeptical about the inclusion of teacher unions, which they blame for the slow reopening of some school districts. Teacher unions are the main political donors to the Democratic Party, including President Joe Biden.
Currently, about 68% of K-12 public school students attend class in person every day, according to Burbio.com’s school opening tracker. Just under 3% of students attend a virtual-only school, while the rest are in a hybrid model.
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In an interview with Fox News ‘Martha MacCallum earlier this month, AFT President Randi Weingarten said the teachers’ union supported the full opening of schools now that conditions had changed and the Biden administration had issued genuine security guidelines that were not undermined by the former president on a daily basis.
“At the end of the day, it’s time for our kids to go back to school,” Weingarten said. “I’m grateful that the Biden administration is listening to parents, teachers and administrators and even Fox to try to figure out how we get people vaccinated, how we get our kids back to school and how we get our country back. “
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The union president added, “I begged the Trump administration to do exactly what the Biden administration did, which is real security advice that the former president didn’t laugh at every other day. “
House Republicans have already written to the CDC for answers on the seemingly pleasant relationship with the unions, but the agency had yet to respond to their letter.
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