It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, America! (And National Nurses Week, and Public Service Recognition Week.)
Naturally, then, the leaders of the country’s two largest teachers unions are issuing glowing remarks about how much they appreciate the low-level workers who fund their lavish executive salaries.
“Many of us have had teachers who changed our lives, nurses who saved our lives or public employees who improved our lives,” American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said in a press release obtained by The Daily Caller.
“For me, I often talk about Mr. Swift at Clarkstown High School North, who taught me how to be both confident and responsible, while opening the door to theater and art,” Weingarten reminisced. “This week is our chance to say ‘thank you.'”
Weingarten, a frequent critic of economic inequality, makes at least $360,000 per year. This salary puts her squarely in the top 1 percent of all Americans. (RELATED: Teachers Union Fat Cat Lives In America’s Top 1 Percent, Blames Baltimore Riots On INEQUALITY)
She brings home $30,000 each month — or about $7,500 per week, or $1,500 per workday. By way of comparison, a typical American elementary school teacher earns $56,130 annually.
Thus, it takes Weingarten just over seven weeks to earn the entire salary of an average American teacher. Over the course of a year, Weingarten makes enough money to pay the full salaries of a half dozen of her union minions and buy a brand-new, nicely-appointed Volkswagen Golf.
“As our economy bounces back from the recession, it is increasingly clear that great education, healthcare and public services are rungs on the economic ladder to the American dream,” the labor leader said in her hosanna. “That’s why we are celebrating teachers, nurses and public employees this week.”
Weingarten warned of decreased taxpayer funding and attempts to “silence” union workers, however.
“Let me be clear: Appreciation alone is not enough,” she declared. “As we celebrate these workers, we need to listen to them. We need to give them the tools, resources and support they need to do their jobs well. That’s the way to really show our gratitude.” (RELATED: This Teachers Union President Will ‘PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE’ If You Don’t Like Common Core)
Weingarten suggested that union supporters take to Twitter with the hashtags #ThankATeacher, #ThankANurse and #GovernmentWorks.
Meanwhile, the National Education Association issued its own press release trumpeting a lottery which will award 10 random people who participate in the #ThankATeacher social media campaign with $100 VISA gift cards to donate to their favorite teachers (for classroom materials, of course).
In comparison to this $1,000 expenditure on actual teachers, the National Education Association spent $29,592,694 to influence the 2014 U.S. elections — virtually all on Democratic Party candidates. (RELATED: Teachers Union Demands Free College For Teachers After Blowing $100 Million On Midterms)
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