AFT President Randi Weingarten celebrated the launch of her new book — “Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy” — at UFT headquarters on Sept. 17 with about 170 union members and guests. In a discussion moderated by Spectrum News NY1 political anchor Errol Louis, Weingarten warned that democracy and public education in the United States are both in peril. She said that fascists reject critical thinking in favor of fear and rage against the system, and guiding students in developing critical thinking skills “is the essence of what we need to do” as educators. “It’s a really critical moment, and I really appreciate that someone is talking in defense of what we’re up against,” said Jessica Beck, a delegate at MS 327 in the Bronx. Julie Skiddell, an ENL teacher at John Adams HS in Queens said of Weingarten, “She’s just inspiring about how to speak up and how to speak out.”