Ladies and gentlemen, as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faces increasing scrutiny over his past claims, a new controversy has emerged regarding his record as a high school teacher. A recent review by The Daily Wire has revealed that Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, has made misleading statements about winning prestigious teaching awards—claims that don’t hold up under closer inspection.
So, what’s the issue here? Over the years, Walz has been presented in various media reports, campaign ads, and biographies as having won one or two Minnesota Teacher of the Year awards. But, as it turns out, these accolades were either exaggerated or entirely inaccurate. Despite what’s been implied, Walz was never awarded the Minnesota Teacher of the Year title—a distinction given annually to a standout educator in the state.
A local paper’s glowing profile of Tim Walz in 2005:
Walz “served a tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom”
“He was deployed overseas with his National Guard field artillery unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
It appears the reporter interviewed Walz for this piece…🤔 pic.twitter.com/ID3Q2Fm4jE
— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) August 10, 2024
Let’s break down the facts. In a 2005 article from the Austin Daily Herald, it was claimed that Walz had been selected twice as Minnesota Teacher of the Year for ethics and excellence in education. However, a thorough search of the official website listing past recipients of the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award shows no mention of Walz.
Instead, the truth is more modest: Walz did win the Mankato Teachers’ Association’s Teacher of the Year award in 2002—a local honor given by members of the local teachers’ union. He also received an Ethics Award from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation in 2003, which included a $10,000 prize, but this was not a Teacher of the Year award, nor was it two separate awards as some reports had suggested.
Here is another example of Tim Walz using his Command Sergeant Major rank in a 2006 campaign ad. Walz even implies that he served in Afghanistan.
This is a full year removed from his demotion from a CSM-E9 to a MSG-E8.
This is textbook Stolen Valor.pic.twitter.com/i0I47TBeyI
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) August 12, 2024
This isn’t the first time Walz’s record has come under fire. He’s also faced criticism for misleading statements about his military service, including claims about his rank and deployment history. While Walz did serve honorably in the National Guard, he did not see combat in the Middle East or retire as a command sergeant major, as he has sometimes implied.
The timing of these revelations couldn’t be more critical. As the vice-presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket, Walz’s credibility is under the microscope, and these embellishments could raise questions about his trustworthiness.
With his campaign already redirecting focus to Vice President Kamala Harris’s main website, the latest scrutiny over his teaching awards adds to a growing list of concerns that the Harris-Walz team will need to address.
