'Every child in America' saw video of Charlie Kirk's death, teachers union leader says

EASTPOINTE, Mich. — "Every child in America" saw video of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's shooting death, Randi Weingarten said, and the nation's teachers had to figure out how to talk to them about it.

Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the second largest teachers union in the United States, said this week what public schoolteachers needed most after Kirk's assassination was leadership from their state superintendents, telling them, "This is what we need to do; this is how we need to deal with public events."

Instead, she said, "They sent a memo saying snitch on your colleagues."

Weingarten spoke Monday at Eastpointe High School auditorium to rally support for public schools, which she and local officials said are being intentionally defunded to foster ignorance among young people, so they won't question authority.

State leaders in some red states have taken steps to curb perceived inappropriate speech in the days after Kirk was gunned down during a debate session at a Utah college campus, saying that comments critical of Kirk are akin to glorifying violence.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a video statement that comments by educators who seek to "excuse, justify and even celebrate" Kirk's murder are "evidence of the profound crisis in our classrooms."

In Oklahoma, State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters threatened to revoke the license of any public schoolteacher who "attempts to glorify" Kirk's killing, according to the Oklahoman. In Florida, Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas promised to investigate "every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior," per a Florida Phoenix report. Indiana has set up an "Eyes on Education" online portal where people have submitted hundreds of complaints related to educators' posts about Kirk, the Chicago Tribune reported.

In Michigan, teachers in Tuscola County and Kalamazoo County have been placed on leave for online posts about Kirk.

The crackdown comes as teachers are feeling burnout at higher rates because of the "destruction" of public education, Weingarten said, and an effort on the part of the Trump administration and its supporters to sow distrust in public educators.

"There's a fear of broad-based opportunity. There's a fear of knowledge. There's a fear of pluralism," she said.

But public schools in Michigan have received more money and other resources for years, said Jarrett Skorup, the vice president for marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which advocates for more competition and accountability in education. The budget plan being debated gives public schools another $1 billion more than last year, he said.

"And this is despite a decline in the number of students and Michigan's performance on educational metrics compared with other states," Skorup said in a Tuesday email. "It is hard to say what else taxpayers could be doing to support educators. Perhaps union president Randi Weingarten isn't feeling supported now that public school teachers have a choice in union membership, and her state affiliate in Michigan has seen thousands of people resign their membership."

In a 2018 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mandatory union fees for public sector workers, including teachers, violated the First Amendment right to free speech and overturned a 1977 decision called Abood v. Detroit Board of Education that had previously allowed such fees.

This summer, the Trump administration withheld and put under review more than $7 billion in funding for public schools and later released $5 billion. The U.S. Education Department said the funds were being reviewed because of a change in administration, and, later, an Office of Management and Budget representative said the administration was looking into whether funds have been used by school districts for scholarships for undocumented immigrant students or teaching LGBTQ topics.

President Donald Trump said he instructed McMahon to lawfully dismantle the Education Department in an effort to place education decisions with the states. A recent Supreme Court decision cleared the way for those efforts when it said Trump had the authority to fire about 1,400 workers in the department.

"The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most – to students, parents, and teachers," McMahon said in a statement released by the U.S. Department of Education in July.

Monday's event in Eastpointe was hosted by the nonprofit Public Education Alliance, which has planned a series of town hall-style events across the country to rally support for public schools.

The events are predominantly being scheduled in school districts serving low-income communities and students of color, which are disproportionately affected by these efforts, the AFT says. According to U.S. News & World Report, 95% of Eastpointe High School students are minorities and 88% are economically disadvantaged.

"... Our district has been ravaged by legislative policy, charter schools or schools of choice ... and we as a school district are left to pick up the pieces," said Eastpointe Community Schools Superintendent Christina Gibson.

Michigan has had charter schools, which are alternative public schools, for three decades. They have to accept all students who apply, but don't have the ability to levy taxes to generate money for buildings and infrastructure.

Education leaders are waiting for a vote on a state budget, which is going up to the Sept. 30 deadline, and district leaders around the state are anxious to see exactly how the deal will shake out for public schools, since state officials have been secretive about details. The Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity advocacy group said $750 million from the state's School Aid Fund will be diverted from K-12 public schools, and it's unclear how that shortfall may be recouped.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and House Speaker Matt Hall, a Richland Township Republican, have said they want to put more funding toward road and bridge repairs. It is unclear what kind of mix of budget cuts and tax hikes will fund such an increase.

"I will be curious to see what kinds of priorities the state of Michigan has: Is it roads or is it kids?" Gibson said.

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