Fox News host Martha MacCallum snapped at American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten during a segment on school choice.
Weingarten, who has long opposed school choice in order to protect her union workers’ jobs, tried to make a case that Florida, a proponent of school choice, has low National Assessment of Educational Progress scores during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News’s The Story with Martha MacCallum.
“So you’re saying if we can find other areas around the country where the proficiency levels are also abysmal and should be embarrassing to any education or innovation, then we can start to make assessments and say that ‘oh, it’s because of choice’ or ‘it’s because of money,’” MacCallum said. “We know that money does not equate to a better outcome because in Newark, New Jersey, you have a per-student, per-capita expenditure that is one of the highest in the country, and you have a very difficult outcome.”
“Martha, Martha, Martha, sweetheart, sweetheart, listen to me,” Weingarten interrupted. “It actually does.”
“Please don’t call me sweetheart,” MacCallum said.
“I’m sorry, my bad,” Weingarten said. “It actually does matter, and in fact, some of the conservative folks who used to say that money doesn’t matter actually have changed their mind.”
“Yeah, they want it to go to different programs and choice programs and be able to give it to parents who want to homeschool their kids,” MacCallum said, which prompted a head shake from Weingarten.
The pair continued to argue about focusing teacher training on LGBT policies while literacy rates are dwindling.
“So, Martha, I suspect that you and I agree on more than we don’t. I know you don’t believe me,” Weingarten said.
FLORIDA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE COMPETING. THE REST OF THE NATION SHOULD TAKE NOTE
Weingarten has taken issue with a part of Florida’s curriculum that instructs teachers to include lessons on how “slaves developed skills that, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) faced additional criticisms from black advocacy groups and other organizations for allegedly sanitizing lessons on black history.
The AFT has over 1.7 million members in its union, and Weingarten has been at its helm since 2008.