Randi Weingarten: Teachers want to be in a classroom — Congress must make it safe
Teachers aren't waiting for a vaccine to reopen schools, but we do need to keep students and educators safe. Where is the support from lawmakers?
We can usually count on a president and Education secretary to prioritize
children’s and teachers’ well-being and safety. That certainly should be the
expectation during a pandemic. But just as President Donald Trump has
downplayed the virus from the beginning, now he and Secretary Betsy DeVos
have demanded schools reopen regardless of the lack of a thorough plan, the necessary funding, or
the safety considerations that scientists and public health experts tell us
are needed.
Teachers are not waiting for a vaccine to reopen schools; they know
in-person schooling is really important for kids, academically, socially and
emotionally. But particularly as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in many
states, teachers and our students need both a real plan to reopen safely and
the resources to do so.
According to a recent poll of our members, 76% of educators support going back to school if we have the proper safeguards called for by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and other experts — safeguards such as
ensuring low community spread (New York calls for a daily infection rate 5% or lower), daily deep cleaning and sanitizing of school facilities, physical
distancing, masks and other appropriate personal protective
equipment, ventilation, and reasonable accommodations for those
most at risk. CONTINUE READING: COVID-19: Teachers are ready to open classrooms if Congress acts
