Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), the Democratic nominee for vice president, is beloved by teachers unions, but his dedication to them and their left-wing policy preferences have deteriorated education in Minnesota, critics say.

From dropping reading and math scores to pandemic-era lockdowns and controversial school curriculums, including critical race theory and transgender ideology, Walz’s tenure as governor since 2019 has served as a primary example of what sparked the conservative education backlash during and after the pandemic.