Group blasts teachers union leader

Parents say video of his dropping his daughter off at a preschool is ‘hypocritical’ to his reopening stance

BERKELEY >> A video has surfaced of the Berkeley teachers union president taking his young child to a private preschool, and some are calling it “hypocritical” as the union has opposed returning to school until educators are vaccinated.

Matt Meyer, president of Berkeley Federation of Teachers, can be seen in the video posted by the anonymous “Guerilla Momz” group dropping his daughter off at a private preschool. Although Berkeley Unified announced it plans to return to in-person learning this month, the union has fought to have educators return only when they have been vaccinated.

But the video shows Meyer dropping his child off for in-person school, after being followed by the Guerilla Momz, a group that wants children to return to school.

“Thousands of our children are suffering learning loss, social isolation and mental heath breakdowns,” reads a caption in the video. It then cuts to footage of Meyer, wearing a Berkeley Federation of Teachers Union zip-up sweatshirt, holding his child’s hand as he drops her off at an unnamed school.

The child’s face is blurred and the video says he drops her off every weekday. The video was taken Feb. 18 but was posted on Youtube on Saturday.

“Stop the hypocrisy. Our children are suffering. Open schools full-time Now (sic),” reads the video’s caption.

Meyer, in an email response, confirmed his 2-year-old child attends a private preschool, but said there are no public options for kids her age.

“There are major differences in running a small preschool and a 10,000-student public school district in terms of size, facilities, public health guidance and services that legally have to be provided,” Meyer said. “We all want a safe return to school. The Berkeley Federation of Teachers is excited that Berkeley Unified will be reopening soon with a plan, supported by our members and the district, to get our students back in classrooms.”

Berkeley Unified announced last month that it reached an agreement with its union to return to in-person school, dependent on teachers and staff getting coronavirus vaccinations.

Students could return to school for a hybrid inperson learning model as soon as March 29 for preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten through second grades. Grades three through eight could return April 12, while high school could return April 19.

“The CDC has recommended, though not required, vaccines for educators, and we recognize the value of vaccines as a strong, additional layer of protection for our staff. Vaccinations will lead to a more confident reopening, and allow us to focus now on the final details of a hybrid learning schedule for our students,” read a joint statement by Superintendent Brent Stephens, Meyer, and school board president Ty Alper.

Jonathan Zachreson, founder of “Reopen California Schools,” which advocates for a five-day-aweek return to the classroom for all grade levels, said he’s not too surprised by the video. Although improper, “it’s probably happening all the time,” he said in a phone interview.

“I believe it is hypocritical, but he’s not the only one that is guilty,” Zachreson said. “Every union leader, school board member, politician including Gov. Gavin Newsom, responsible for keeping schools closed, that have their kids in private in-person facilities should be held accountable.”

A representative from Guerilla Momz, who did not wish to be named, said Meyer has repeatedly said at school board meetings that it’s not safe to reopen campuses, all the while taking his own child safely to school.

“After a year of no school, we’ve had it with the delays, the lies and the hypocrisy,” said the Guerilla Momz representative.