In an opinion piece published on Monday, Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), along with former Kamala Harris campaign aide Ben Austin, offered some pointed criticism of the Democratic leadership.
Austin suggested that the party should recognize Weingarten’s past contributions and then move on without her, stating, “Democrat leaders should appreciate Weingarten’s service and then lock the door behind her.” He also accused Weingarten of misguiding the party, indicating that her approach to countering Republican policies—particularly regarding loosely regulated school vouchers—has not been effective.
Weingarten announced her departure from the Democratic National Committee in June, citing differing views with the party leadership.
Austin, who is involved in civil rights in education and has shown support for teachers’ unions, criticized Weingarten’s affiliates for exploiting political circumstances during school closures. He described their actions as a betrayal of their loyalties.
He noted that the United Teachers Los Angeles had strongly opposed efforts to bring students back to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, they were resistant to online teaching and kept students home indefinitely, which ultimately hindered their education.
Austin painted a picture of frustrated parents within the Los Angeles Unified School District, who faced significant obstacles due to what he characterized as the union’s misguided decisions. He observed a shift where some of these parents, traditionally progressive, began aligning with conservative views out of frustration.
He lamented that Weingarten’s leadership has negatively impacted American children, criticizing the Democrats for adopting ineffective education policies.
He reflected on lessons from past Democratic victories, pointing out that Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama succeeded because they were willing to challenge conventional party norms. This, he argued, is something today’s Democrats need to reclaim.
Austin remarked that former Vice President Kamala Harris failed to address educational issues during her campaign, which he found concerning.
“The Democrats became the party of public education because they had the courage to fight for it, and that courage is needed again today,” he concluded.
The AFT had not responded to requests for comments regarding these statements at the time of this report.
