Thread by @rweingarten

Many school districts are trying to go back to in-person learning this week. The fact is both in school learning and safety are key, and because of all the disinformation, the disinvestment, the failure to tackle #covid, educators and school staff& many families are fearful.

We can combat the fear- with science, rea sources, working together & safeguards. The CDC’s recent guidance suggests that with the right precautions, school reopening can be done safely, but people need the blue print.

Boston and NYC have worked out extensive protocols with a real enforceable plan to make sure educators could do their jobs and keep their students safe and engaged.

Other districts are just mandating professionals to work in person while the virus continues to rage w/o safeguards or testing or vaccines. Instead of blaming teachers, let’s secure the protections and meet their fears.

Let’s be clear: we are not trying to flex our muscle. We are doing what unions should do- protect our communities and knowing in school learning is so important 4 the parents and kids who need it, doing our best to make sure reopening is safe, equitable and follows the science.

There is a roadmap – it’s one we’ve been working on since April, and one we’ve come together to implement successfully in several communities, including New York City and Cleveland where, despite legitimate fears, we worked collaboratively to do reopening right.

Safeguards we're asking for are:
✔️ setting infection rates that trigger closure
✔️ testing
✔️ PPE
✔️ cleaning & ventilation
✔️ distancing
✔️ vaccine schedule
✔️ reasonable accommodations
These are basic necessities required to build trust & reopen schools effectively

Our country’s educators are used to doing it all, but in this uniquely frightening moment, they’re asking for help to keep themselves and their kids safe, and too many of them are being sent back into school buildings and effectively being told to wing it – with their lives.

After decades of working in schools buildings with dirty water, broken HVACs & crumbling infrastructure, they are all too familiar with this script. As their union, we are working on plans that follow the science, and help educators overcome their fears & educate our kids