Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), recently sparked controversy with her remarks on school choice at the “Network for Public Education Action” national conference. Weingarten claimed that the concept of school choice is a threat to democracy. A video clip of her strong critique has gained significant traction on social media.
Weingarten criticized prominent advocates of school choice, including former White House Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Manhattan Institute’s Christopher Rufo, and American Federation For Children Senior Fellow Corey DeAngelis. She argued that their only solution was to privatize or voucherize schools, which she believes undermines democracy, civil discourse, and pluralism. She stated that 90% of children still attend public schools and accused school choice proponents of promoting division.
School choice allows parents to select schools outside their immediate locality or choose alternatives to the public school in their neighborhood. This policy, however, has been opposed by teachers unions, who argue it diverts taxpayer funds from public schools to other educational options. These funds, they argue, could be used to increase teachers’ salaries, improve public school facilities, and hire more educators.
Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, shared the video clip of Weingarten’s comments. In response to Weingarten’s remarks, DeAngelis commented that he relishes the fact that his advocacy work has caught Weingarten’s attention. He pointed out that Weingarten’s criticism that they only offer one solution is misguided, likening it to criticizing a doctor for prescribing antibiotics for strep throat. He defended school choice as the best solution, empowering families to choose education providers that best suit their needs and values.
Despite the controversy, school choice policies have seen substantial progress across the U.S. in recent years. For instance, Arizona expanded its Educational Savings Account program to all students in 2022, a move followed by other Republican-led states.
The AFT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Weingarten’s remarks.