There’s an infamous quote by former United Federation of Teachers and American Federation of Teachers boss Albert Shanker that goes like this, “When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.”

The quote is widely cited and debated. Defenders of the unions deny the legitimacy of the quote, but there’s no denying this tweet by a United Federation of Teachers faction.

“If the kids want to go back, let them rally for reopening of schools,” UFT Solidarity tweeted.

Albert wasn’t wrong. Unions represent their members. They don’t represent the people they service, whether it’s bus riders, hospital patients or children.

And yet unions routinely take them hostage and claim to represent their interests. How many times have teachers’ unions walked out on children… for the children?

Children and their parents shouldn’t have to rally for reopening schools. They are the owners of the system. And yet the system actually exists to serve the unions because the politicians are far more interested in the AFT’s support than that of individual parents.

Until the parents in blue states and cities who have gone through a miserable year because of that dynamic recognize that and change their voting habits than the Shanker way will endure.