{"id":2308961,"date":"2024-07-26T04:36:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T08:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-locks-down-teachers-union-endorsements-as-she-embraces-left-wing-education-activism-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-26T04:37:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T08:37:29","slug":"kamala-harris-secures-teachers-union-endorsements-by-aligning-with-left-wing-education-activism-washington-examiner-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-secures-teachers-union-endorsements-by-aligning-with-left-wing-education-activism-washington-examiner-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Kamala Harris secures teachers union endorsements by aligning with left-wing education activism &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkamala-harris-secures-teachers-union-endorsements-by-aligning-with-left-wing-education-activism-washington-examiner-3%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2308961&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Vice President Kamala Harris is \u200dactively seeking the support of \u200bteachers&#8217; unions as she positions herself as a\u2064 frontrunner in the Democratic race for president following President Biden&#8217;s withdrawal from the election. In\u200b a \u2063recent speech to\u200c the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Harris expressed \u2062her \u200csupport for progressive \u200ceducational policies,\u2063 including gender ideology and critical race\u2063 theory, while also\u200b advocating for public-sector unions and expanded abortion access.<\/p>\n<p>Harris recently received endorsements from the AFT and the National Education Association, both influential organizations in Democratic politics known \u2062for backing left-leaning initiatives. During her address, she \u200bcriticized &#8220;extremists&#8221;\u2062 for \u2063attacking voting rights\u2063 and efforts to curb\u2062 gun violence, without naming any specific individuals or groups. \u2063She also defended controversial leadership figures within the education sector, notably praising AFT President Randi \u2063Weingarten, who has faced backlash for her role \u2064in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyu-professor-if-youre-black-youre-not-safe-in-u-s-schools\/\" title=\"NYU Professor: \u2018If You\u2019re Black, You\u2019re Not Safe In U.S. Schools\u2019\">pandemic-related school closures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Harris&#8217;s supportive remarks about Weingarten, critics, including advocates for\u200c educational reform, claim that her policies hinder progress and \u2062compromise the \u2063educational needs of students. The vice president&#8217;s\u2062 history includes backing a \u200cnotable teachers&#8217; union strike in 2019 and proposing significant increases\u200c in teacher salaries, totaling an estimated $315 billion over ten years.<\/p>\n<p>In addition \u200cto advocating for educational reforms,\u2064 Harris has pushed for\u2062 measures to\u200d enhance diversity among educators and the expansion of free\u200c college initiatives.\u200c These proposals, while aimed at addressing\u2063 equity in education, have\u2063 drawn concerns about their financial implications for taxpayers.\u200c Harris&#8217;s approach signals a strong alignment with \u200cteachers&#8217; unions and progressive educational policies as she navigates her \u200bcandidacy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Kamala Harris locks down teachers union endorsements as she embraces left-wing education activism<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1713799\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> is only days into her race as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president and is already stumping for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/teachers-unions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>teachers union<\/a> support by backing their far-left political priorities.<\/p>\n<p>In one of her first addresses after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday, Harris spoke to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/american-federation-of-teachers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>American Federation of Teachers<\/a>, the country&rsquo;s second-largest teachers union, to push gender ideology and critical race theory, back public-sector unions, and expand abortion access.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2024\/07\/25\/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-at-the-american-federation-of-teachers-88th-national\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>speech<\/a> came just days after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/orgs\/american-federation-of-teachers\/summary?id=D000000083\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>AFT<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/orgs\/national-education-assn\/summary?id=D000000064\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>National Education Association<\/a>, the nation&rsquo;s largest teachers&rsquo; union, threw their support behind the vice president. Both unions are powerful in Democratic politics, with both organizations spending millions of dollars backing far-left causes and candidates.<\/p>\n<p>In her speech, the California Democrat claimed there are &ldquo;extremists attack[ing] the sacred freedom to vote&rdquo; while those same &ldquo;extremists&rdquo; are attempting to deny &ldquo;freedom to live safe from gun violence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While not calling out any politician or party by name, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-secures-teachers-union-endorsements-by-aligning-with-left-wing-education-activism-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris secures teachers union endorsements by aligning with left-wing education activism - Washington Examiner\">vice president erroneously claimed<\/a> that the &ldquo;extremists&rdquo; are passing &ldquo;don&rsquo;t say gay laws,&rdquo; which was the name given by left-wing activists to Florida&rsquo;s education reforms that blocked discussion of gender transitions and other sexually explicit content for young children though allowed it later on in K-12 schooling.<\/p>\n<p>Harris also praised AFT president Randi Weingarten, the controversial political power player who was behind many of the pandemic school lockdown policies and who agitated to continue them well after medical science showed there was no benefit to keeping kids out of the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While kids were sitting at home for two years, losing out on their education and jeopardizing their future,&nbsp;Randi Weingarten was behind the scenes pushing to keep schools shut down. She is the antithesis of progress in education, instead working to destroy merit, dumb down standards, and hold children back from reaching their full potential,&rdquo; Michele Exner, senior adviser for education advocacy group Parents Defending Education, said in a statement following Harris&rsquo;s address.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is an insult to parents to hear Vice President Kamala Harris praise someone who has built her career on working against parents and students.&nbsp;It was a gross display of politics taking precedence over the educational needs of students.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Neither Harris nor Weingarten mentioned the controversial pandemic protocols that left many students far behind in their education.<\/p>\n<p>However, Harris&rsquo;s praise of Weingarten comes after years of activism on behalf of teachers unions and backing similar far-left proposals. In her speech, Harris noted her leadership of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/general\/labortaskforce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>White House task force<\/a> aimed at helping unions.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, then-Sen. Harris broke with other Democrats in her state and backed a teachers union strike that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/28\/us\/charter-schools-los-angeles.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>opposed<\/a> a Democratic-led effort to expand school choice in Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, Harris jumped into the 2020 presidential primary, where part of her education plan was to increase teacher pay dramatically (to the tune of $13,500 on average), a major concession to the unions. The plan was advertised as the &ldquo;largest federal investment in teacher pay in U.S. history.&rdquo; The proposal would have cost an estimated $315 billion over 10 years and exponentially increased federal power over education.<\/p>\n<p>In line with diversity, equity, and inclusion ideology, Harris also backed a $2.5 billion proposal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-secures-teachers-union-endorsements-by-aligning-with-left-wing-education-activism-washington-examiner-2\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris secures teachers union endorsements by aligning with left-wing education activism - Washington Examiner\">fund teaching preparation programs<\/a> at historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, in order to make teachers more racially diverse. <\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most memorable moment from Harris during that primary regarding education was when she called then-candidate Joe Biden racist on the debate stage in 2019 for opposing school busing programs in the 1970s and 1980s.<\/p>\n<p>While the Biden administration finalized Title IX rules earlier this year that changed the definition of sex to include claimed gender identities of students and staff, Harris promised in 2020 that, if elected president then, she would have expanded civil rights law in a similar way. Now, with a more likely shot at the presidency, Harris would be charged with defending Title IX in court. The rewrite from the Department of Education has already been blocked in at least 15 states and is expected to continue to be blocked by federal judges where challenges have been brought.<\/p>\n<p>Harris has also backed proposals to make all two-year college programs &ldquo;free,&rdquo; and make any four-year program &ldquo;free&rdquo; for middle- and lower-income people, a plan that would cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. Similar to student loan transfer schemes from the Biden administration, making these programs free would effectively force taxpayers to foot the bill for those who attend college.<\/p>\n<p>The student loan transfer schemes from the Biden administration have been blocked by courts. The first, a $400 billion plan to transfer debt to taxpayers, was struck down by the Supreme Court, while the second, a $156 billion scheme was recently blocked by a federal appeals court.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Harris also backs universal pre-K schooling and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chalkbeat.org\/2022\/3\/28\/23000407\/biden-budget-proposal-title-i-schools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>dramatic increase<\/a> to the Head Start program. The Biden administration has already attempted to pass budgets that more than double Head Start funding, but the proposals were blocked by congressional Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Further back in her career, as district attorney in San Francisco, Harris focused on student truancy as she backed a policy allowing her to arrest parents whose children missed 10% of the school year without a valid excuse. Harris was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/kamala-harris-truancy-arrests-2020-progressive-prosecutor_n_5c995789e4b0f7bfa1b57d2e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>widely criticized<\/a> for backing the bill and exercising the power it granted, as mostly minority parents were being arrested. During her run for California attorney general, she backed the policy becoming state law, which it did.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1713799\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1713799\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kamala Harris secures endorsements from teachers&#8217; unions by aligning with progressive education initiatives. Just days into her campaign as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Harris is actively seeking support from teachers&#8217; unions by endorsing their leftist agendas. In her initial speech following President Joe Biden&#8217;s withdrawal from the race, she addressed the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teachers&#8217; union in the U.S., advocating for gender ideology, critical race theory, public-sector unions, and increased access to abortion. This speech came shortly after both the AFT and the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers&#8217; union, expressed their support for her. These unions wield significant influence in Democratic politics, investing millions in far-left causes and candidates.<\/p>\n<p>During her address, Harris claimed that &#8220;extremists&#8221; are undermining the fundamental right to vote and the right to live free from gun violence. Although she did not specify any politicians or parties, she inaccurately accused these &#8220;extremists&#8221; of enacting &#8220;don&#8217;t say gay laws,&#8221; a term used by leftist activists to describe Florida&#8217;s educational reforms that limit discussions on gender transitions and explicit content for young children, while allowing such discussions later in K-12 education. Harris also commended AFT president Randi Weingarten, a controversial figure known for her role in pandemic school closures, which many believe hindered students&#8217; education. Michele Exner, a senior adviser for Parents Defending Education, criticized Harris&#8217;s praise for Weingarten, stating it was disrespectful to parents and students and prioritized politics over educational needs.<\/p>\n<p>Neither Harris nor Weingarten addressed the contentious pandemic policies that left many students behind academically. Harris&#8217;s support for Weingarten follows her long-standing advocacy for teachers&#8217; unions and similar leftist proposals. In her speech, she highlighted her leadership of a White House task force aimed at assisting unions. In 2019, as a senator, Harris diverged from other California Democrats by supporting a teachers&#8217; union strike against a Democratic initiative to expand school choice in Los Angeles. Shortly after, she entered the 2020 presidential race, proposing a significant increase in teacher salaries, which was framed as the &#8220;largest federal investment in teacher pay in U.S. history,&#8221; costing an estimated $315 billion over ten years and increasing federal control over education.<\/p>\n<p>Harris also supported a $2.5 billion initiative to fund teacher preparation programs at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to enhance racial diversity among teachers. A notable moment from her 2020 campaign was when she accused then-candidate Joe Biden of racism during a debate for his opposition to school busing in the 1970s and 1980s. Following the Biden administration&#8217;s recent changes to Title IX, which expanded the definition of sex to include gender identities, Harris had previously promised to broaden civil rights laws in a similar manner if elected. Now, as she pursues the presidency, she may need to defend these changes in court, especially since the Department of Education&#8217;s revisions have faced legal challenges in at least 15 states.<\/p>\n<p>Harris has also endorsed proposals for free two-year college programs and making four-year programs free for middle- and lower-income individuals, which would cost taxpayers hundreds of billions. Similar to the Biden administration&#8217;s student loan transfer plans, these proposals would shift the financial burden onto taxpayers. The administration&#8217;s previous plans to transfer student debt have faced legal obstacles, with the Supreme Court blocking a $400 billion initiative and a federal appeals court recently halting a $156 billion plan.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Harris supports universal pre-K education and a significant expansion of the Head Start program, although attempts to double Head Start funding have been thwarted by congressional Republicans. Earlier in her career as San Francisco&#8217;s district attorney, Harris focused on student truancy, backing a policy that allowed her to arrest parents of children who missed 10% of the school year without a valid excuse, a move that drew criticism for disproportionately affecting minority families. She later supported this policy becoming state law during her campaign for California attorney general<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2308962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/kamala-harris-american-federation-of-teachers-2024-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36259,21510,32438,36260,36106],"class_list":["post-2308961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-education-activism","tag-endorsements","tag-kamala-harris","tag-left-wing-politics","tag-teachers-union"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/kamala-harris-american-federation-of-teachers-2024-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2308961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2308962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2308961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2308961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2308961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}