HAMPTON, Va. — Virginia Democratic leaders gathered in Hampton on Monday morning to recognize the many laborers in the state for Labor Day. They specifically recognized educators and the challenges they face in the classroom.
“They are not babysitters," said Jeion Ward, the president of the Hampton American Federation of Teachers Local 4260. "They are here to train and lead a new generation.”
Ward said being a teacher comes with great responsibility and challenges as violence across the country impacts school communities.
“Sometimes, it feels as if you’re alone," she said. "But when you begin to share some of your successes, it helps our teachers and they are prepared to take on almost anything.”
She said it means a lot to know the community has their backs. That’s why the Hampton Democratic Committee organized the 16th annual Salute to Labor event.
“The moment you start banning -- banning, not talking about things that are hard -- what happens is kids just say, ‘Maybe I should stay in my shell,’” said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers.
“Books that are banned and taking certain things out of the curriculum, that’s something that we have to address on the state level," Ward said. "We cannot remove any of it.”
Weingarten calls it a distraction. She said the union has launched a multi-million dollar campaign to foster education. The initiative, "Real Solutions for Kids and Communities," aims to help students recover from the pandemic by addressing issues like learning loss, literacy, and loneliness.
Weingarten said the union wants to focus on solutions and calls out book bans and censoring history.
“When they book ban, we’re going to give out books to spark the love of reading," she said. "When they say don’t teach honest history, we bring people together to talk about the good and the bad.”
We reached out to the Youngkin administration on the campaign. We are waiting to hear back.