The head of the American Federation of Teachers on Monday defended the use of the controversial “1619 project” in public schools, saying it was being misinterpreted.
Fox News host Martha McCallum asked Randy Weingarten if children should be taught that the pursuit of American freedom spills over the desire for slavery.
Weigton denied that the 1619 project carried that theory forward and cited personal conversations with its lead author.
He said, “I have had many conversations with Nicole Hannah-Jones and I have not come to the same conclusion from your work as she said that schools should teach the roots of slavery in America.”
But McCullum denied his characterization of the New York Times revisionist history project. “This is not my conclusion,” he said. “This is directly from his work.”
Weighington then tried abruptly for coverage of the 2020 presidential election results on Fox News. “I hope the focus will be on Fox – let’s get rid of misinformation on this election,” she said.
McCallum accused Vengarten of withdrawing from the subject.
“It’s a hoax,” he said before asking the question again.
“I support teaching about 1776, which I have often done,” Vengarten said. “I favor teaching us about 1619. I am also in favor of teaching about the Holocaust and teach about genocide in the context of the Holocaust.”
McCallum said he learned about each of those subjects while going to school, when Weyngton supported teaching children to see themselves as oppressors of African-Americans.
“I think we should raise all ethnicities,” Vengarten said. “I don’t think we should say that there is an oppressor class and not an oppressor class. I hold a great faith in celebrating diversity and really helping people see the lived experience.”
The union chief resumed it to reflect his election coverage for Fox, arguing that social studies teachers were “wrestling” with how to tell their students the subject.
“If you’re really talking about looking at the misinformation, Martha, and I hope you are, then I would really expect what Fox would actually do in this election,” she said.
McCullum directed the conversation back to the trends of the course.
“If you raise children in this country, assuming it is a bad country, which was established to preserve slavery – which is simply not true – then our school system has a The problem is, ”she said.
In his response, Weigton emphasized his patriotism.
“I love America,” he said. “My grandparents came from Ukraine. My grandfather was persecuted, almost murdered en route to the United States. I love America. And I am very grateful that I live in a nation that can really see how to make myself better. And this is what we try to do in education all the time. “
The Post reported last week that the AFT advocated the Centers for Disease Control to reopen the guidance of its February schools.
Those efforts led to the incorporation of the AFT language into the final product.
McCallum asked Vengarten if he thought the schools would reopen next year.
“I hope so,” she said, noting that the union would not require children to be vaccinated to qualify for in-person learning.
“But that’s why you still have to do some mitigation,” he said, finally “We have to get our children vaccinated.”
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