NEWARK, N.J – If you want to understand why America’s teacher unions are so powerful, just consider what happened yesterday in New Jersey’s Newark school district.

NJSpotlight.com reports American Federation of Teachers President Rhonda “Randi” Weingarten and her band of union malcontents staged a rally in downtown Newark to shame school leaders for allegedly not living up to the promises contained in Newark’s Teachers Union contract, which was adopted a year ago.

“The agreement between the district and the (NTU) included the state’s first large-scale use of performance bonuses for teachers found to be performing at a high level. It also included extensive provisions for teachers to take part in peer evaluations and the reviews of the final job ratings,” NJSpotlight.com reports.

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But Weingarten and her NTU cohorts claim “the district has not lived up to its pledges, which included additional support and coaching for lower-performing teachers,” the news site reports.

The unionists are also upset that the district has cut its budget and decided to close down some schools, although that’s mostly explained by the fact more Newark families are fleeing the dysfunctional district for charter schools.

While the union rabble was busy protesting and throwing around wild allegations of contractual violations, the individual in charge of Newark’s school system did … exactly nothing.

State-appointed schools Superintendent Cami Anderson wouldn’t comment on the allegations directly, NJSpotlight.com reports. Instead, her spokesman, Matthew Frankel, released a statement filled with empty platitudes about creating a “community-wide agenda.” (Talk about bringing a knife to a gun fight.)

By staying silent about Weingarten’s allegations, Anderson created the impression among Newark’s parents and taxpayers that the union’s allegations of misconduct are valid.

While nobody expected Anderson to go toe-to-toe with Weingarten, she should have at least held a news conference with local media to explain how the unionists are stretching the truth completely out of shape. Anderson’s non-reaction allowed Weingarten to win the public relations battle, as the lopsided NJSpotlight.com story demonstrates.

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We don’t mean to beat up on Anderson unfairly. We’re painfully aware that the overwhelming majority of America’s school leaders react to teacher union bullies in a similar manner, namely by getting into a defensive crouch and waiting for the protestors to leave.

And that’s why the unionists have for decades been able to establish the false narrative that America’s public schools are underfunded and that any attempt to hold educators accountable for student learning is an “attack on teachers.”

That’s why we say what happened yesterday in Newark, New Jersey is illustrative of how America’s teacher unions have been allowed to set the agenda for decades – and, subsequently, why our nation’s public education system has become a bloated, ineffective mess.