MSNBC’s host of The 11th Hour, Stephanie Ruhle, welcomed American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and former Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney onto Thursday’s show to discuss the state of education in America. Ruhle lamented that “misinformation” is fueling a lot of the anger towards public education, but it was Ruhle that was spreading misinformation as she sought to dismiss conservative objections.
Ruhle was set up by Weingarten, who tried to sound reasonable by insisting that parents have a role to play in their children’s education beyond electing school boards. Additionally, she stated, “I think what happens is that if people knew more frequently about what the processes where so they could get engaged, and there was a welcome environment, I think that we’d see a lot less of the agita, the outside agita you’d still see, but in terms of our kids in schools, you have to find ways that parents feel really welcome to say what they need to say.”
Ruhle wasn’t completely convinced, “But in order to do that, you have to have a basis of facts. How much is misinformation fueling things, right? The anecdotal thing, we’re parents, that we hear: schools have litter boxes for kids or teachers are forcing lower school kids to choose pronouns. How is that fueling the chaos when those things aren't even true?”
One does not have to defend false rumors of litter boxes for furries to understand that Ruhle’s point about pronouns is simply wrong. There are several examples of middle and elementary schools doing just that. At the same time, teacher unions, including Weingarten’s AFT, have endorsed the idea.
Maloney responded by sidestepping the specific issue of pronouns and declaring that “no one should for a minute suggest that there is any better teacher than a parent who cares about their kid. I believe that as a parent.”
However, he also believes:
That you've got to have some trust in a process. You’ve to allow qualified teachers and the school board was properly elected to make these decisions around curriculum, about content, and you’ll have your voice heard in all the usual ways. And a good teacher wants to hear from parents. And a good school system wants to hear from parents. But my god, the anger, and the hatred being thrown at our educators. I think it has to be hurting the kids in terms of the quality of the education, and just the example that’s being set.
That trust is impossible to maintain when you have people like Ruhle crying fake news when people are speaking out on real news. The fact that the controversy is on schools sewing doubt and confusion on fundamental questions of identity into impressionable young minds makes it even worse.
This segment was sponsored by Golden Corral.
Here is a transcript for the June 22 show:
MSNBC The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle
6/22/2023
RANDI WEINGARTEN: Can I just say something, Sean, parents have to have a role in children's education and it's doesn’t just have to be electing school boards and I think what happens is that if people knew more frequently about what the processes where so they could get engaged, and there was a welcome environment, I think that we’d see a lot less of the agita, the outside agita you’d still see, but in terms of our kids in schools, you have to find ways that parents feel really welcome to say what they need to say.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: But in order to do that, you have to have a basis of facts. How much is misinformation fueling things, right? The anecdotal thing, we’re parents, that we hear: schools have litter boxes for kids or teachers are forcing lower school kids to choose pronouns. How is that fueling the chaos when those things aren't even true?
SEAN PATRICK MALONEY: Well, Randi anticipated what I was going to say—
WEINGARTEN: Sorry, Sean.
MALONEY: No, and as usual, no, said it better than I could. I mean, I’m a parent and I have three kids who went through the system here in New York. And I’ll tell you what, yeah, look, you have to have some basic trust in the fact, what’s going on makes sense for your kids. And of course we want to be heard, no one, no one should for a minute suggest that there is any better teacher than a parent who cares about their kid. I believe that as a parent. But I also believe that you've got to have some trust in a process. You’ve to allow qualified teachers and the school board was properly elected to make these decisions around curriculum, about content, and you’ll have your voice heard in all the usual ways. And a good teacher wants to hear from parents. And a good school system wants to hear from parents. But my god, the anger, and the hatred being thrown at our educators. I think it has to be hurting the kids in terms of the quality of the education, and just the example that’s being set.
