Teachers are the unsung heroes of democracy and Walz, who taught social studies for nine years at Mankato West High School, is a walking, gone-viral-talking reminder of that. Anyone who has stood in front of a classroom of high school students at pretty much any hour of the school day knows there is no tougher constituency, or audience, in the world. As Walz has already proved, a good teacher can do it mid-sentence, without blinking, before returning to a lecture on westward expansion. As origin stories go, it’s a great anecdote, but teaching was far from just a stepping stone for Walz. After Harris announced Walz as her vice-presidential pick, he was quickly endorsed by both the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 08, 2024 16:23 UTC