Randi Weingarten: Masking Children Is 'Absolutely the Right Way'

Randi Weingarten, the president of America’s largest teachers’ union, told CNN that keeping children masked in school is “absolutely the right way.”

Appearing on CNN’s Newsroom Thursday, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) leader applauded New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) decision to maintain masking for children in schools until at least March while lifting virtually all other mask mandates in the state.

“I think I’m just going to lift up the one governor who I think is doing it absolutely the right way,” Weingarten said.

Hochul lifted New York’s mask mandates for businesses and most indoor public settings but excluded places where groups gather like public transit. She also excluded schools, despite the fact that children are at the lowest risk for negative effects of the coronavirus.

The Empire State’s governor has also advocated for children to get the vaccine and is not happy with the number of children in her state who have yet to get the shot. As such, she announced school districts will distribute testing kits and, given the results, make a determination on masks in schools.

New York parent and founder of “Keep NYC Schools Open” Daniella Jampel, a Democrat, said, “Starting today, maskless NYers can go to grocery stores, pharmacies, movie theaters, and just about anywhere else. Our kids, however, will spend 7 hours behind a mask, struggling to hear their friends and understand their teacher.”

Weingarten, who claims to care about the wellbeing of children, has used her organization as a driving force behind keeping schools closed and children masked, despite the ample and growing evidence that both have been absolutely detrimental for the social and educational development of children as well as their mental health. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation have all skyrocketed among children, as well as learning loss and underdeveloped speaking, reading, and writing capabilities.

In November 2020, AFT affiliated United Federation of Teachers pushed heavily for the shut down of New York City’s entire public school system.

Meanwhile, Weingarten also recently came under fire for saying on MSNBC that masking children in school can only end when there is “no transmission in schools.”

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.