‘Don’t Call Me Sweetheart’: Martha MacCallum and Randi Weingarten Brawl on Fox News

MACCALLUM So you know ░░░░░░░░ seems to me that ░░░░░░░░ failure for all of ░░░░░░░░ is what has happened ░░░░░░░░ our kids in terms ░░░░░░░░ their education And I ░░░░░░░░ what disturbs a lot ░░░░░░░░ parents religious background or ░░░░░░░░ religious background is that ░░░░░░░░ see this you know ░░░░░░░░ ideology as you know ░░░░░░░░ of the common phrase ░░░░░░░░ all of this happening ░░░░░░░░ they re looking at ░░░░░░░░ numbers and saying why ░░░░░░░░ you reading this book ░░░░░░░░ my child when first ░░░░░░░░ all I want to ░░░░░░░░ with this kind of ░░░░░░░░ at home based on ░░░░░░░░ own understanding of where ░░░░░░░░ child might be And ░░░░░░░░ the numbers are plummeting ░░░░░░░░ at this I mean ░░░░░░░░ if this isn t ░░░░░░░░ failure that needs to ░░░░░░░░ so much more important ░░░░░░░░ whether or not you ░░░░░░░░ reading a book about ░░░░░░░░ pronouns This is the ░░░░░░░░ rankings 4th graders these ░░░░░░░░ little kids who ve ░░░░░░░░ these books you know ░░░░░░░░ to them at a ░░░░░░░░ young age Their reading ░░░░░░░░ in 2013 they were ░░░░░░░░ in the nation in ░░░░░░░░ 2024 20th Math 16th ░░░░░░░░ the nation plummeting down ░░░░░░░░ 39th So if I ░░░░░░░░ a parent in this ░░░░░░░░ I would be saying ░░░░░░░░ please leave these books ░░░░░░░░ of the picture Teach ░░░░░░░░ child to read and ░░░░░░░░ do math OK Weingarten ░░░░░░░░ yes MACCALLUM And let ░░░░░░░░ focus on why we ░░░░░░░░ there Weingarten So can ░░░░░░░░ focus on that Which ░░░░░░░░ like let s focus ░░░░░░░░ the kind of things ░░░░░░░░ we should be doing ░░░░░░░░ kids because if you ░░░░░░░░ so this is not ░░░░░░░░ district that I represent ░░░░░░░░ s represented ably by ░░░░░░░░ NEA and they ve ░░░░░░░░ a terrific job But ░░░░░░░░ s talk about the ░░░░░░░░ scores for a minute ░░░░░░░░ the Maryland NAEP scores ░░░░░░░░ don t you put ░░░░░░░░ the Massachusetts NAEP scores ░░░░░░░░ Well you have I ░░░░░░░░ about 18 000 teachers ░░░░░░░░ the Maryland district at ░░░░░░░░ Weingarten No no no ░░░░░░░░ this is but these ░░░░░░░░ so let s talk ░░░░░░░░ the NAEP scores for ░░░░░░░░ in Florida which is ░░░░░░░░ you know a lot ░░░░░░░░ people look at Florida ░░░░░░░░ say that that is ░░░░░░░░ king that is the ░░░░░░░░ of all mothers of ░░░░░░░░ choice Their NAEP scores ░░░░░░░░ the lowest They really ░░░░░░░░ in the same way ░░░░░░░░ s look at the ░░░░░░░░ scores in Massachusetts which ░░░░░░░░ people would say probably ░░░░░░░░ your you know on ░░░░░░░░ network that those you ░░░░░░░░ that the Massachusetts scores ░░░░░░░░ the Massachusetts schools are ░░░░░░░░ much embedded in equality ░░░░░░░░ diversity So let s ░░░░░░░░ at what happens in ░░░░░░░░ that really works and ░░░░░░░░ happens in Florida that ░░░░░░░░ t work What happens ░░░░░░░░ Massachusetts that works is ░░░░░░░░ there is far more ░░░░░░░░ and there is a ░░░░░░░░ culture of a safe ░░░░░░░░ welcoming school And what ░░░░░░░░ need to do is ░░░░░░░░ need to actually do ░░░░░░░░ of that MACCALLUM So ░░░░░░░░ re saying that because ░░░░░░░░ know if we can ░░░░░░░░ other areas around the ░░░░░░░░ where the proficiency levels ░░░░░░░░ also abysmal and should ░░░░░░░░ embarrassing to any education ░░░░░░░░ Weingarten No no I ░░░░░░░░ talking MACCALLUM that we ░░░░░░░░ start to make assessments ░░░░░░░░ say that oh it ░░░░░░░░ because of choice or ░░░░░░░░ s because of money ░░░░░░░░ know that money does ░░░░░░░░ equate a better outcome ░░░░░░░░ in Newark New Jersey ░░░░░░░░ Actually it does MACCALLUM ░░░░░░░░ have a per student ░░░░░░░░ capita expenditure that is ░░░░░░░░ of the highest in ░░░░░░░░ country and you have ░░░░░░░░ Actually Martha Martha sweetheart ░░░░░░░░ listen to me MACCALLUM ░░░░░░░░ don t call me ░░░░░░░░ Weingarten It actually does ░░░░░░░░ m sorry my bad ░░░░░░░░ actually does matter And ░░░░░░░░ fact some of the ░░░░░░░░ of the most some ░░░░░░░░ the conservative folks who ░░░░░░░░ to say that money ░░░░░░░░ t matter actually have ░░░░░░░░ their mind So the ░░░░░░░░ MACCALLUM They wanted to ░░░░░░░░ to different programs and ░░░░░░░░ programs and be able ░░░░░░░░ give it to parents ░░░░░░░░ want to home school ░░░░░░░░ kids and to provide ░░░░░░░░ No no I m ░░░░░░░░ about I m talking ░░░░░░░░ people who have actually ░░░░░░░░ looking at these numbers ░░░░░░░░ what I m saying ░░░░░░░░ you is this things ░░░░░░░░ Title 1 where which ░░░░░░░░ used to hugely increase ░░░░░░░░ literacy rates that money ░░░░░░░░ does matter And conservatives ░░░░░░░░ all believe that we ░░░░░░░░ actually have Title 1 ░░░░░░░░ schools And the disproportionate ░░░░░░░░ of money goes to ░░░░░░░░ districts like 20 percent ░░░░░░░░ Mississippi education funding MACCALLUM ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ they ve done in ░░░░░░░░ is to expand choice ░░░░░░░░ re also doing something ░░░░░░░░ important in Mississippi which ░░░░░░░░ to expand teacher training ░░░░░░░░ they realize Weingarten Yes ░░░░░░░░ MACCALLUM that the teachers ░░░░░░░░ do not necessarily understand ░░░░░░░░ things that they re ░░░░░░░░ to be teaching which ░░░░░░░░ a massive problem across ░░░░░░░░ country So I do ░░░░░░░░ them credit for that ░░░░░░░░ know However we must ░░░░░░░░ clear eyed Weingarten And ░░░░░░░░ re actually using MACCALLUM ░░░░░░░░ the fact that our ░░░░░░░░ over the past 20 ░░░░░░░░ have had very difficult ░░░░░░░░ weakened outcome And we ░░░░░░░░ it at the college ░░░░░░░░ We see it when ░░░░░░░░ are being pushed through ░░░░░░░░ systems I was talking ░░░░░░░░ a teacher the other ░░░░░░░░ she said I can ░░░░░░░░ hold a kid back ░░░░░░░░ can t read in ░░░░░░░░ grade I am forced ░░░░░░░░ push him through the ░░░░░░░░ Weingarten: “So, so Martha —“