Pandemic shows 'just how much power' teachers unions have: Jason Riley

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CDC takes guidance from teachers unions on reopening recommendations

‘Journal Editorial Report’ panel discusses the White House defending the CDC parroting recommendations from teachers unions

Parents and families have learned "just how much power" teachers unions have over the education of their children, Wall Street Journal columnist and Fox News contributor Jason Riley said during Fox News' "Journal Editorial Report" Saturday.

"The problem is that it is business as usual," Riley said, commenting on the CDC adopting two of the guidelines recommended by the nation’s second-largest teachers union, the American Federation of Teachers, nearly word for word.

"The problem is that the Biden administration is taking dictation from the teachers unions, as Democrats have long done. That is the problem here, they're not following the science, they’re following orders from labor leaders that give a lot of money to Democratic politicians and Democratic leaders," Riley continues.

COVID EXPOSED TEACHERS UNIONS' 'LIE' THAT CHILDREN ARE A PRIORITY: JASON RILEY

The panel also discussed the cozy relationship between Democrats and teachers unions, suggesting it was coming at a cost to American students.

Wall Street Journal editorial page deputy editor Dan Henninger said "the story here is the closeness between the Democratic Party and the teachers unions and the teachers union contributions."

Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel also noted that despite Biden’s claims, most students are not back in schools.

"The Department of Education put out a survey this week…and it shows that only 54% under high school…are back full time in the classroom," Strassel said.

Strassel also noted that the numbers can be misleading, noting that in California, only 5% of fourth-graders are back in the classroom.

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Riley concluded that the experience through the pandemic has shown that the interests of teachers unions are not in line with the interests of students.

"Teachers unions have long pretended that their interests are perfectly aligned with those of the children," Riley said. "I think their behavior during this pandemic, their resistance to go back to work, and the harm we know it has caused children…shows that their interests are not aligned with those of the children and families."