President Biden set a target of school re-openings within his first hundred days in office; however, the decision to open schools is local; the 14,000 school districts across the nation have the authority to open and close schools. The national teacher unions (NEA, AFT) do not have the authority either; the local unions within school districts “negotiate” school openings.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) produced a “Roadmap to Safely Open Schools” (Read here)
Randi Weingarten, the AFT President favors reopenings, with safeguards..
Education Next, a widely read website was prescient, Schools will remain closed for the rest of the 2019–20 academic year but will reopen in the 2020–21 academic year (albeit with the potential of localized, rolling closures for 14–28 days triggered by additional waves of infection,
The Los Angeles School District has been closed since the pandemic hit in March, COVID positive rates in Los Angeles remain high as well as hospitalizations and deaths. The teacher union (UTLA) has been adamant, has threatened a strike and only in the last few days agreed to a phased reopening plan.
The conservative media has pummeled teacher unions.
The New York City teacher union (UFT) threatened a “safety strike” in August, CONTINUE READING: School Openings: Political Gamesmanship Collides with Sound Educational Policy. | Ed In The Apple