Lori Lightfoot rejects Randi Weingarten's spin on school closings: 'Not the reality'

Lightfoot said the teachers unions 'never' worked with city of Chicago on school re-opening

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot seemed to reject American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten's claim about unions working to re-open schools and said that it was "not the reality" on the ground in cities like Chicago. 

CNN's Poppy Harlow asked Weingarten on Monday to respond to a clip of Weingarten claiming, "we spent every day from February [2021] on trying to get schools open." Harlow said Trump adminstration education secretary Betsy Devos accused Weingarten of "revisionist history."

"That may have been what Randi was saying at the national level and I believe that to be true. I had conversations with her at the time that lead me to believe that’s what she wanted to do. That’s not the reality that was happening on the ground in cities like Chicago, like Los Angeles, and other places. We needed to get our kids back in school. I’m unapologetic about the fight to make sure we put our kids and our parents first," Lightfoot responded. 

Earlier in the segment, Harlow said Lightfoot went toe-to-toe with teachers unions and asked the outgoing mayor of Chicago if their actions harmed students. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined "CNN This Morning" on Monday to discuss her fight against teachers unions during the pandemic. 

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"Obviously every union should advocate for its members, but it's got to be in the context of the organization. Schools are about children. We demonstrated over and over again that our schools were safe. We put $100 million into retrofitting classrooms, making sure they had the PPE, making sure that every single classroom had filters to make sure that the air was safe. Deep cleaning of every single building," Lightfoot said. 

"But fundamentally, we know that where children learn the best and where they are safest is in the classroom… And none of our parents signed up to be home schoolers, and the learning loss is real. We’re making big steps in that direction. But the union needed to work with us and they never did that," she continued. 

Lightfoot also criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R., for sending migrants to Chicago during her appearance on "CNN This Morning." Host Kaitlan Collins asked if she had heard back from Abbott after sending him a letter asking him to stop busing migrants to her city. 

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during election night rally at Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council on February 28, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)

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"No, we have not heard anything back. And frankly, I didn’t expect to hear anything back, but I felt like it was important to once again try to engage the governor, but also let him know what his policies and practices are doing in cities like Chicago. We are completely tapped out. We have no more space, no more resources. And frankly, we’re already in a surge," Lightfoot said. 

Weingarten testified in front of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Wednesday to address her union’s role in influencing policy on school lockdowns. 

"So, again, yes or no, did AFT ever provide suggested revisions to the CDC’s operational strategy regarding school closures or reopenings? Did you suggest revisions to their operational strategy?" Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, chairman of the subcommittee, asked Weingarten during the hearing.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 22: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten speaks as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) listens at the AFL-CIO on June 22, 2022 in Washington, DC.  ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images))

"What we suggested, sir, was ideas," Weingarten responded. "They asked us for ideas."

After the hearing, Weingarten said she was glad to have "the chance to set the record straight" in a statement posted on the AFT's website as well as on Twitter.