MacCallum presses teachers union president over emails showing AFT lobbied CDC on school reopenings

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Teachers union president defends stance on school reopening

America Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten joins 'The Story' to discuss the return to in-person school

"The Story" host Martha MacCallum confronted American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten Monday with a new report showing that the AFT regularly communicated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the White House on school reopening plans.

The nation's second-largest teachers union has been accused of dragging their feet when it comes to returning children to their classrooms full time following nationwide COVID-19 shutdowns. The agency was charged last week of holding too much influence over the White House and the CDC on the political hot button issue.

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Communication obtained by the New York Post showed numerous emails between top CDC officials and the union just days before the administration released school reopening guidelines in February. 

The CDC had been prepared to allow in-school instruction regardless of transmission rates. But at the suggestion of the union, the guidelines were adjusted to include a provision that said, "In the event of high community-transmission results from a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, a new update of these guidelines may be necessary."

"You can see why that would lead people to think that you all have a lot of muscle over at the White House when it comes to reopening our schools," MacCallum told Weingarten.

Weingarten defended the correspondence, telling MacCallum that at the time the country was facing "the variants that were going on at that moment, that kept the Great Britain schools closed...and we were concerned about it."

"There have been $20 million that has gone to Democrats from teachers unions...so I guess that money seems to be working."

— Martha MacCallum, 'The Story'

Weingarten said she agreed with the CDC that "that the conditions have changed now so that everybody can be back in full time."

As for critics accusing her of intentionally delaying a full return, Weingarten fired back "I begged the Trump Administration -- I can show you -- I have many, many letters right now. I went to my office to find them. I begged the Trump Administration to do exactly what the Biden administration did, which is real safety guidance, that the former president didn't mock every other day."

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When the AFT head attempted to blame the Trump administration for the delayed reopenings a second time, MacCallum pointed to their aggressive efforts to reopen schools nationwide and the union's refusal until their demands for additional funding were met. 

"What you told me is there wasn't money, that some of these schools had problems like mold. All of these things started getting into the mix that were not part of the equation at all when parents were just wanting to get their kids to go back. 

"So obviously you didn't have the pull with the prior administration," MacCallum said, "But in this administration there have been $20 million that has gone to Democrats from teachers unions and teacher organizations. So I guess that money seems to be working."

Weingarten then praised the Biden administration for making the COVID vaccine widely available to teachers and students over 16.

"The Trump administration helped Pfizer and Moderna get the vaccine done. But the Biden administration got it out to people. And that became the real game changer," she said. 

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"That's because it started in January. That's when they were available," MacCallum fired back. "That is the way it happened. The facts of the matter is, transmission was very low in the fall. There were plenty of colleges and independent schools that were back all fall that were in the classroom."

Weingarten dodged MacCallum's point, but agreed that "it's time to go back." She also confirmed that teachers will not require students to receive the vaccine in order to return to in-person learning in the fall.

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"But that's why you have to still have some mitigation," she said. "Because it's only emergency use vaccination right now. But...we have to get our kids vaccinated."

"Will you have everybody back in September, 100% in-class five days a week?" MacCallum concluded. 

"I hope so," Weingarten said, before adding, "We have to stop the misinformation, we have to stop the disinformation, we have to stop the chaos."