Teachers' union boss says members 'don't really care' if DOE is shut down so long as money keeps flowing

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), made waves during an interview on MSNBC last week where she suggested her union members “don’t really care” whether the Department of Education remains intact under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

“My members don’t really care about whether they have a bureaucracy at the Department of Education or not,” Weingarten said. She also referenced the union’s historical stance, noting that former AFT president Al Shanker opposed the department’s creation in the 1970s, believing its responsibilities should remain within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to better address "the whole child."

Following backlash from her remarks, Weingarten took to X to clarify her comments. On Wednesday, she posted that “something like the Dept of Education” is needed because it “creates career pathways and ensures federal aid reaches our poorest students while protecting vulnerable learners' rights.”

“Reorganization can't become an excuse to cut funding for those who need it most,” she said.

Weingarten’s comments come as the possibility of abolishing the Department of Education gains traction among some Republicans. During his campaign, Trump floated the idea, and South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds recently introduced legislation to dismantle the department, redirecting its duties to other agencies. In response, Weingarten has argued that the bill would “get rid of money for poor kids.”

“How do you do that? We need federal dollars to help level up opportunity for children,” she claimed.

However, critics have rebutted that Weingarten misunderstood the bill. Corey DeAngelis, senior fellow at the American Culture Project, explained to Fox News that the proposed legislation would simply reallocate education funding to states via block grants.

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I’m glad Randi Weingarten and I can agree on one thing: it’s time to abolish the bureaucratic mess that is the Department of Education,” DeAngelis commented. “If even Randi Weingarten is open to the idea, hopefully some Democrats in Congress will get on board with the majority Party. The Department of Education is an unconstitutional waste of time and money. Let's get rid of the bureaucracy and send education back to the states. That will eliminate waste and allow for more local control.”