AFT president comments on Supreme Court religious charter school case

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten expressed concerns in a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court's hearing of two cases from Oklahoma. These cases have the potential to challenge the long-standing separation between church and state by possibly allowing states to use taxpayer money to fund religious public charter schools. The AFT has submitted an amicus brief relating to these concerns.

Weingarten emphasized, "We respect religious education and the founders’ intention in separating church and state. Public schools, including public charter schools, are funded by taxpayer dollars because they are dedicated to helping all—not just some—children have a shot at success." She added that states strive to keep public schools secular, open, and inclusive, a principle potentially jeopardized by these cases.

The petitioners, according to Weingarten, seek to alter this fundamental principle. She quoted Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, highlighting that the issue with the charter application is not rooted in religious discrimination but rather the inappropriateness of categorizing the proposed religious institutions as public schools.

Weingarten pointed out that religious teachings as factual and requests for exemptions from discrimination laws underline the applicants' deviation from public education norms. She asserted that while religious schools have a place in the U.S. educational landscape, they should not receive public funding without adhering to the accompanying public school standards.

The AFT President is hopeful for a decision that upholds the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s stance in favor of religious pluralism over sectarian influence. She warned that a decision to the contrary would significantly harm public education and the majority of students who depend on it, stressing the necessity to "preserve and nurture the roots of our democracy."

Randi Weingarten is the President of the American Federation of Teachers, with Fedrick C. Ingram serving as Secretary-Treasurer and Evelyn DeJesus as Executive Vice President. The organization holds that all related materials require their permission for use.