AFT’s Weingarten Responds to JD Vance’s ‘Gross’ and ‘Ridiculous’ Comments About Teachers: Shame on Him

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WASHINGTON-AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement in response to JD Vance doubling down on the latest unearthed example of his disparaging comments about teachers and modern families:

"JD Vance says he is disoriented and disturbed by people who devote their lives to teaching children and who don't have children of their own.

"Yesterday I responded to his 2021 unearthed comments this way.

"Today, he doubled down. That is exactly what educators, and children and their parents, don't want. They don't want political attacks in our classrooms. They want us to be engaging and nurturing students, creating a safe and welcoming environment, particularly as the new school year begins.

"It sure seems like Vance lacks an empathy gene-thank goodness he's not a teacher. He doesn't get that you don't have to be a parent to care about kids, our neighbors, our communities and our country.

"While Vance plays the culture-war card, which is just a corrosive form of politics, AFT educators all across the country are solution-driven, giving books away to children-10 million to date; implementing free breakfast and lunch programs in schools; standing up for community schools and social services to help all children find academic success; and, just this year, creating career and technical education pathways in advanced manufacturing and healthcare to prepare and train students for well-paying jobs and professions.

"If he spent any time representing Ohio, for example, Vance would have seen this work in action from Cleveland to Medina to Toledo to New Lexington to Cincinnati.

"Teachers want what children need. I am blessed to be a mom by marriage, but it's irrelevant to whether any of us care about children. This week, as teachers are digging into their pockets to pay for school supplies and welcoming kids and parents into their classrooms, we should all be celebrating the hope and promise of a new school year, not trashing it with gross, ridiculous comments like Vance's.

"Vance should devote his energy to helping educators and school staff support students. Instead, he is making it harder for teachers to teach and children to learn.

"Shame on JD Vance."

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.