Teachers are terrified that experts don't really know how risky re-opening schools is | Salon com

Teachers are terrified that experts don't really know how risky re-opening schools is | Salon.com

Teachers are terrified that experts don't really know how risky re-opening schools is

"You can’t say what is the risk" for unvaccinated teachers, Fauci tells the press

Forty-five days into President Biden's term, he and his administration have somewhat improved public health messaging compared to his predecessor's admittedly low bar. But they hit turbulence when they pressed for the return of in person school instruction, and the assertion it wasn't necessary for teachers to be vaccinated first because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claimed that schools could be relatively safe.

The most high-profile support for this assertion is the New York City public school re-opening, which is being held up as a national model.

"Nowhere in the country has indoor, in-person learning resumed on such a large scale so safely," opined the New York Daily News recently. "And while much remains in allowing high-schoolers to return and letting remote K-8 families opt back in, the city's plan has all but been copied by the CDC on how to do it right."

The newspaper went on to credit Mayor Bill de Blasio and outgoing school chancellor Richard Caranza for the successful return of hundreds of thousands of kids to the classroom "essentially virus free."

The Daily News made no mention of the essential role played by the United Federation of Teachers, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators and the tens of thousands of staff that implemented a complex and expensive plan that included mandatory testing of 20 percent of all of the staff and students in each school. CONTINUE READING: Teachers are terrified that experts don't really know how risky re-opening schools is | Salon.com

Dr. Fauci has conversation with teachers' union about reopening schools in President Joe Biden's first 100 days - ABC7 San Francisco

Dr. Fauci has conversation with teachers' union about reopening schools in President Joe Biden's first 100 days - ABC7 San Francisco

Dr. Fauci has conversation with teachers' union about reopening schools in Biden's first 100 days

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Reopening most schools within President Biden's first 100 days is a big commitment. Many, including teacher unions, are questioning whether or not that is even possible.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had a livestream conversation with unions about this goal.

RELATED: In-person learning during pandemic is possible with right precautions, CDC says

Back in July, Dr. Anthony Fauci said we should try to get children back to school for their psychological welfare and for the good of working families but safety, he said, was paramount.

Today, six months later, the Biden administration is counting on Dr. Fauci's expertise to make sure the necessary school safety standards are in place.

This is what he told the big teachers unions:
"The American Rescue Plan is something that hopefully will provide the resources for masking, for better ventilation, for whatever resources the schools might need to protect students and the teachers.""We need the CDC guidance, we need these rapid tests, we need to make sure we have the accommodations and the vaccine. I hear that a lot," expressed Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers.

Fauci then said his daughter is constantly reminding him of what teachers need to stay safe.

"As you know, I have a personal interest in this because my daughter is a teaching science in the 3rd CONTINUE READING: Dr. Fauci has conversation with teachers' union about reopening schools in President Joe Biden's first 100 days - ABC7 San Francisco

WATCH VIDEO: Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes | EdSource

Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes | EdSource

Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes

CSU Chancellor Tim White hosts virtual Q&A event with Dr. Anthony Fauci 

hen Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, takes on his new role as President-elect Biden’s chief medical adviser, one of his top priorities will be reopening schools safely and getting teachers vaccinated for the coronavirus.

In a wide-ranging interview with California State University Chancellor Tim White Friday, Fauci expressed optimism for getting most of the United States’ population vaccinated and reopening schools and college campuses to in-person instruction. (Watch the full interview here.)

“The only way we’re going to end this epidemic is if we get a range of 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated,” he said. “We could essentially end this outbreak in this country … It would be tragic to think that now that we have in our hands vaccines that are 94% to 95% effective, and we don’t get as many people as we possibly can to utilize that.”

Fauci predicted that just about anyone can get vaccinated later this spring once vaccines are given to essential workers, people with underlying conditions and the elderly between now and March. By April, “I would call that more like open season, where anyone, even those who don’t have underlying conditions,” can start getting vaccinated, Fauci said.

Under those conditions, then by the Fall 2021 term, “I think we could be in good shape, and I am cautiously optimistic that we can do that and get back to some form of normality,” he said.

White hosted Fauci at a virtual Q & A event for the 23 campus presidents. The event was live-streamed for the campus community and featured questions from four CSU presidents.

Fauci said teachers must be at the front of the line for the vaccine.

“It’s extremely important to get children back in school and kept in school,” Fauci CONTINUE READING: Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes | EdSource