News Brief: Dem-Aligned Media Set Up Teachers Unions to Take the Fall for Midterm Losses

Who are Blumenthal and Mate?

Science Officer Stefanie

Upping my monthly Patreon$ - you guys have the best podcast on the left, and I'm withdrawing support of Blumenthal and Mate due to their anti-vax BS

I’m a staffer for a public sector union in the Bay Area, the main thing The main thing I hear when I talk to workers (non education) about remote classes is the ripple effect it’ll have on “the economy” If the kids are remote then their parents have to remote or take leave. Workers don’t have leave time left in their banks and employers won’t approve leave or approve telework, so if the schools go remote that’ll force the government to provide more COVID leave and more stimulus checks. And, the constituency of advocates for more government benefits and intervention changes and grows when schools are remote. People who ideologically support government providing checks and leave balances are joined by people who normally wouldn’t give a shit but now their 7 year old is home and their boss is telling them they need leave the kid behind and report to work. To me this whole experience has said the quiet part loud, that school isn’t about teaching, it’s just a child warehouse so parents can spend 8 hours a day as productive wage slaves for capital.

If anyone wants to get really depressed, tune into ABC's new "critical darling" show -- Abbott Elementary. UGH. Bland and lazy, AE is simply a weekly restructuring of the same story over and over. Young teacher and old teacher learning from each other, and leading a scappy bunch overcoming a lack of resources on the regular. To the extent it has a message, that's it: "under funded schools." Wow, .. hot take. It's like five episodes in and they are still pretending Covid doesn't exist and have yet to even mention unions. In the Philadelphia school district (which was a big news story last year during labor "negotiations.") We are all supposed to love it, I guess, because of minority representation, despite the fact that it is just pablum for American TV watching zombies. I've had to grin and bear it because my wife watches it ... I know she doesn't like it (haven't hear her laugh once), but she feels she has to like it because of the politics of the crowd she works with and hangs with (modern limousine liberals).

Dash X

We just pulled our kids out of school this week and will be homeschooling until the department of education gets its shit together. if that ever happens. extremely painful decision but also extremely privileged to be able to do so.

Orion

Angry Angry Adam

Ivan M

As a high school English teacher in California, I gotta say I appreciated this news brief so much. Going to work doesn't feel safe, and I'm going insane over how casually dismissive our district board and superintendent are. Thank you for shedding light on this matter and sticking up in solidarity for teachers.

Mr. Dalliard

oh yeah, I just meant in response to Matt Y wondering why they weren't complaining like teachers

I thought we noted that? we say there are other strikes just not as large or prominent as the teachers. As in “a political bloc that threatens Matt Yglesias “

Citations Needed

There are actually grocery workers on strike in Colorado! It's definitely not just teachers.

thanks!

i second the above comment. this seems an especially vital and urgent elucidation of the issue and could shift a lot of people’s perspectives on labor and class issues generally.

Yes sorry, it is public. We have to publish all patreon content as non public or people get emailed twice so though it’s locked on Patreon this one is on SoundCloud and libsyn

Citations Needed

isn't it?

I nominate this brief for being published in front of the paywall. So much urgent info packed into 30 minutes here, feels more like a short regular episode. Anyway! Just one persons opinion!

Evan Hiltunen

Clawing the air along with Adam's fury is so cathartic, bless you guys Edit - LOL @ "The squeaky wheel gets the grease, ya dumb fuck!"

Matthew