{"id":2323526,"date":"2024-08-13T04:16:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T08:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-education-record-shows-teachers-union-capitulation-and-left-wing-priorities-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-13T04:17:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T08:17:58","slug":"tim-walz-education-record-shows-teachers-union-capitulation-and-left-wing-priorities-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-education-record-shows-teachers-union-capitulation-and-left-wing-priorities-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Walz education record shows teachers union capitulation and left-wing priorities &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/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%2Ftim-walz-education-record-shows-teachers-union-capitulation-and-left-wing-priorities-washington-examiner%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=2323526&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>The article\u200d discusses Minnesota Governor Tim Walz&#8217;s education record, highlighting criticism from various sources regarding his policies that are \u200dperceived to\u2062 align closely \u2062with teachers&#8217; unions and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-dem-controlled-house-approves-1-9-trillion-stimulus-biden-plans-to-sign-friday\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Dem-Controlled House Approves .9 Trillion Stimulus; Biden Plans To Sign Friday\">left-wing priorities<\/a>. Critics argue that his tenure, marked by <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>, \u200chas led to a decline in academic performance, with significant drops in reading and math proficiency among students. \u200bThey also \u2064point \u200cto an increase in absenteeism and the\u200c introduction of controversial curricula that focus on ethnic studies\u2063 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">critical race theory<\/a>, which they claim are \u2064detrimental to education. Supporters argue that\u2063 Walz has been proactive in addressing systemic issues, but opponents\u2064 contend that his alignment with union interests and radical educational\u2062 reforms has hindered tangible\u2063 improvement in \u200bstudent outcomes and contributed to \u200ca conservative backlash against his policies. Reports indicate a marked decline\u2062 in educational metrics since Walz took office, reflecting broader concerns about educational standards in the state.  <\/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\">Tim Walz education record shows teachers union capitulation and left-wing priorities<\/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_1728537\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN), the Democratic nominee for vice president, is beloved by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/teachers-unions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>teachers unions<\/a>, but his dedication to them and their left-wing policy preferences have deteriorated education in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Minnesota<\/a>, critics say.<\/p>\n<p>From dropping reading and math scores to pandemic-era lockdowns and controversial school curriculums, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/an-inside-look-at-californias-radical-new-k-12-curriculum\/\" title=\"An Inside Look At California\u2019s Radical New K-12 Curriculum\">including critical race theory<\/a> and transgender ideology, Walz&rsquo;s tenure as governor since 2019 has served as a primary example of what sparked the conservative education backlash during and after the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As governor, Walz has an abysmal record on K-12. He locked down schools for a very long time, dismissed the notion that learning loss was real, and presided over plummeting test scores and attendance,&rdquo; Erika Sanzi, director of outreach at Parents Defending Education, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Adding insult to injury, he opposes school choice and basically lives in the pocket of the teachers unions. However affable he may be doesn&rsquo;t erase the damage he has done to children.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Teachers unions have consistently funded and supported Walz, and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Rob_Flaherty\/status\/1821235550894141598\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>according<\/a> to the Harris-Walz presidential campaign. The top profession donating to the ticket in the first 24 hours after Walz was selected as Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s running mate was teachers.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Minnesota Department of Education, from 2019 to 2023, reading proficiency among students plummeted nearly 10 percentage points, from 59.2% to 49.9%. Over the same period of time, math comprehension fell from 55% to 45.5%.<\/p>\n<p>The American Enterprise Institute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/research-products\/report\/long-covid-for-public-schools-chronic-absenteeism-before-and-after-the-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>found<\/a> that chronic absenteeism (students missing more than 10% of the school year) also skyrocketed under Walz, jumping from 14% in 2019 to 30% in the 2021-2022 academic year.<\/p>\n<p>Under Walz, a former teacher, the state education department also mandated an &ldquo;ethnic studies&rdquo; component for K-12 students, which has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/tim-walz-education-radical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>slammed<\/a> by critics as &ldquo;stealth critical race theory&rdquo; and &ldquo;race-based neo-Marxism.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Walz introduced the &ldquo;Due North&rdquo; education plan during the George Floyd riots of 2020, which included the ethnic studies programming. It required that a racial lens be placed on all curriculums, including in math and science. The plan also established a diversity, equity, and inclusion center at the Minnesota Department of Education in order to &ldquo;address systemic racism.&rdquo; The plan was approved when Democrats took control of the state Senate in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Walz made an effort to add the ethnic studies programming part of Minnesota&rsquo;s &ldquo;compulsory attendance&rdquo; law, which would have mandated the curriculum for private schools and homeschoolers as well, but that mandate was never finalized.<\/p>\n<p>The ethnic studies standards do, however, emphasize &ldquo;resistance&rdquo; as a major part of the messaging to students, and the standards encourage students to become political activists and fight &ldquo;systemic and coordinated exercises of power&rdquo; against what they deem to be &ldquo;marginalized&rdquo; groups, according to the Minnesota-based Center of the American Experiment.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanexperiment.org\/missing-the-mark-the-proposed-mn-version-of-ethnic-studies-and-its-narrow-ideology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>slideshow<\/a> from the St. Paul ethnic studies program expressly promoted left-wing social causes such as a $15 minimum wage, No Human is Illegal, Black Lives Matter, Climate Justice, No Bans, No Walls, Abolish Prison, and a gender-queer symbol, according to a report from the CAE.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He spent most of the last two years working to accommodate far-left demands in his party rather than working to address real education issues in our state,&rdquo; Republican Minnesota state Sen. Carla Nelson, a former teacher, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/08\/10\/us-news\/minnesota-education-plummeted-under-democratic-vp-pick-tim-walzs-leadership-critics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> the <em>New York Post<\/em>. &ldquo;The Walz agenda has included burdensome mandates on schools &hellip; [that] have since led to budget shortfalls across the state and pulled teachers away from their students to comply with requirements.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Walz&rsquo;s school lockdown protocols followed closely with the political advocacy of teachers unions and kept children out of their classrooms longer than the average state. The governor set an extraordinarily high bar for school districts to reopen, requiring them to achieve community spread of 10 per 10,000 people in the county. That was not a metric for schools, students, or teachers but rather the residents of the community as a whole, making it essentially impossible to achieve for most school districts &mdash; and certainly more difficult for the most populous ones, such as St. Paul and Minneapolis, which would keep the most students out of school.<\/p>\n<p>Even if a district could meet the threshold, children were still forced to comply with strict social distancing and masking requirements.<\/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_1728537\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1728537\"}});<\/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>Tim Walz&#8217;s educational record reflects a surrender to teachers&#8217; unions and leftist agendas, according to critics. The Democratic governor of Minnesota, who is also the party&#8217;s vice presidential nominee, has garnered strong support from teachers&#8217; unions. However, detractors argue that his commitment to these groups and their progressive policies has negatively impacted education in the state. They point to declining reading and math scores, extended school closures during the pandemic, and contentious curricula that include critical race theory and transgender issues as evidence of his poor governance since taking office in 2019. Erika Sanzi from Parents Defending Education criticized Walz for locking down schools for an extended period, ignoring learning loss concerns, and overseeing significant drops in test scores and attendance rates. She noted that despite his friendly demeanor, he has caused considerable harm to students while opposing school choice.<\/p>\n<p>Teachers&#8217; unions have consistently supported Walz financially; following his selection as Kamala Harris\u2019s running mate for vice president, educators were the top contributors within just 24 hours. Data from the Minnesota Department of Education indicates a nearly 10-point decline in reading proficiency among students\u2014from 59.2% to 49.9%\u2014and a drop in math comprehension from 55% to 45.5% between 2019 and 2023 under Walz\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n<p>The American Enterprise Institute reported a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism during this time frame as well\u2014rising from 14% before the pandemic to around 30% during the academic year of 2021-2022. As a former teacher himself, Walz implemented an &#8220;ethnic studies&#8221; requirement for K-12 education that critics have labeled as &#8220;stealth critical race theory&#8221; or &#8220;race-based neo-Marxism.&#8221; This initiative was part of his \u201cDue North\u201d education plan introduced amid the George Floyd protests in 2020 which mandated incorporating racial perspectives into all subjects.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to establishing a diversity center at the Minnesota Department of Education aimed at tackling systemic racism\u2014a plan approved after Democrats gained control of the state Senate\u2014Walz attempted but failed to make ethnic studies part of compulsory attendance laws affecting private schools and homeschoolers.<\/p>\n<p>The ethnic studies standards promote themes like \u201cresistance\u201d against perceived oppression while encouraging students toward political activism against what they view as systemic injustices faced by marginalized groups. A presentation associated with St. Paul\u2019s ethnic studies program explicitly endorsed various leftist causes such as raising minimum wage levels and supporting movements like Black Lives Matter.<\/p>\n<p>Republican State Senator Carla Nelson criticized Walz for prioritizing far-left demands over addressing genuine educational challenges facing Minnesota schools over recent years; she highlighted how burdensome mandates have led to budget deficits statewide while diverting teachers\u2019 focus away from their students.<\/p>\n<p>Walz&#8217;s lockdown measures aligned closely with union advocacy efforts which resulted in prolonged classroom closures compared with other states; he set stringent criteria based on community infection rates that made it difficult for many districts\u2014especially those serving larger populations\u2014to reopen effectively even when conditions improved enough on paper<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2323527,"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\/08\/tim-walz-minnesota-education-2024-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35136,37959,36106,36113,32076],"class_list":["post-2323526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-education-policy","tag-left-wing-priorities","tag-teachers-union","tag-tim-walz","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/tim-walz-minnesota-education-2024-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323526","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=2323526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323526\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2323526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2323526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2323526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}