Randi Weingarten, the president of the nation’s second-largest teachers union, traveled to war-torn Ukraine on Monday to protest poor online learning conditions for Ukrainian schoolchildren, despite two years of advocating for remote learning in America.
Weingarten tweeted that she is disappointed that students are learning online in Ukraine due to sustained missile strikes from the Russian military. She is slated to meet with Ukrainian teachers and students and is joined by a pediatrician and public health activist, according to a press release from the American Federation of Teachers.
“Woke up this [morning] to reports of disgusting Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Lviv [and] other cities,” Weingarten tweeted Monday. “Heading to the border now to assess the situation. The Russian attempt to frighten civilians [and] the effect of children (who are learning online today) is why this [Ukraine] trip is so important.”
Woke up this am to reports of disgusting Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Lviv & other cities.Heading to the border now to assess the situation. This Russian attempt to frighten civilians & the effect on children (who are learning online today) is why this 🇺🇦 trip is so important https://t.co/dUVOxsdwRQ
— Randi Weingarten 🇺🇦🇺🇸💪🏿👩🎓 (@rweingarten) October 10, 2022
Weingarten plans to distribute children’s books on Tuesday and talk with educators in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday, the press release states. The teachers union honcho previously visited the region in April to meet with Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw and teachers on the Poland-Ukraine border. (RELATED: Teachers Union President Makes Second Incorrect Ukraine Post In A Week)
Online commentators and political pundits took issue with Weingarten’s criticism of online learning, noting that she coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep schools in the United States shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You fought to keep schools closed for over a year and now you’re concerned about remote learning … in Ukraine,” American Federation for Children fellow Corey DeAngelis tweeted.
you fought to keep schools closed for over a year and now you’re concerned about remote learning… in Ukraine? https://t.co/nOE3GVmzFQ
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) October 10, 2022
“In Ukraine, kids got stuck with extended remote learning because of an actual war,” wrote Republican strategist Matt Whitlock. “In America, kids got stuck with extended remote learning because of Randi Weingarten.”
In Ukraine, kids got stuck with extended remote learning because of an actual war.
In America kids got stuck with extended remote learning because of Randi Weingarten. https://t.co/w3bcMHwvOv
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) October 10, 2022
The American Federation of Teachers did not respond to the Daily Caller’s inquiry requesting information on how Weingarten’s trip was financed.