Ohio Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) is highlighting school advocacy as part of his political platform while supporting school closures, forced mask mandates, and remote learning.
“Our kids are entering a competitive and rapidly changing world, and we owe it to them and their parents to make sure they’re ready to take on any challenges the world throws at them,” Ryan said.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a major funder of liberal political causes and Democratic political candidates, endorsed Ryan in December 2021. This same organization forced mask mandates and remote learning on students suffering from the effects of the pandemic. Ryan has publicly praised his support of Randi Weingarten, president of AFT, who championed school shutdowns in Ohio.
“Tim Ryan embraces the lady who fought hardest to keep schools closed, leading to irreversible damage for American children,” Matt Whitlock, former corporate communicator of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said.
In the wake of the school shutdowns Ryan supported, more children are struggling with anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. According to a poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, children reported feeling 20 percent more anxious, 19 percent more irritated, 14 percent sadder, 13 percent less able to concentrate, 12 percent less interested in social activities, and 10 percent more out of control being out of school due to closures.
Because of Ryan and his union donors, students in grades 3-8 lost up to 20 weeks of learning, with additional research showing “two decades of learning improvements have been wiped away in the span of just two years.”
In addition, Ryan voted to allow for the restriction of funds to charter schools, which disproportionately help minorities in urban communities get a quality education.
Ryan also voted against banning funding for the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigations to target parents who protest their school boards.
He voted to allow the implementation of student loan cancellations, meaning working Americans such as plumbers and electricians would now have to pay for the student loans of lawyers and doctors.
Ryan also is in favor of allowing the implementation of COVID vaccine mandates and said wants them to be a requirement for all Ohioans including children. The Supreme Court subsequently found the mandates were unconstitutional.
“It is critical that every Ohioan gets their vaccine as soon as they are eligible,” Ryan said in 2021.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Ryan” by Congressman Tim Ryan. Background Photo “Classroom” by Wokandapix.
