Parents around the nation are worried about sending their children back to school for in-class instruction amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% of them would prefer that schools provide a mix of online and in-person classes, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll conducted between in July.
Thirty-nine percent of parents prefer fully virtual schooling for the upcoming school year, and only 16% said they want in-person schooling only this fall. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report in July claiming that in-school education supports the development of social and emotional skills, provides educational instruction and creates a safe learning environment.
It is that last claim that many teachers and parents are questioning.
AFT President Randi Weingarten
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On July 28, the leadership of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) told members it would support teachers in “safety strikes” if they feel health precautions and safety protocols are not met. But a group of Texas teachers has created a Facebook group for teachers, counselors, librarians and other education professionals advocating for a safe reopening of schools.
Texas Teachers for Safe Reopening is comprised of more than 47,900 members and has grown by more than 8,000 in the last month. The group's Facebook page has 7,012 posts in the past 30 days.
AFT President Randi Weingarten is letting local teachers unions decide whether to strike, and unveiled a list of standards that the union wishes to see met before schools reopen.
The standards include, among other conditions, the following:
- The average daily community-infection rate among those tested for COVID-19 is below 5% and the transmission rate is below 1%.
- There is effective disease surveillance, tracing and isolation in the region.
- Staff who are at high risk for serious health problems or death if they contract COVID-19 have access to special accommodations or workplace adjustments.
- There is a statewide, city- and/or community-level authority empowered to trigger closure in the event of a spike in infection or when public health standards are not being met.
- The district and school have developed and funded proper safeguards and practices to protect health and safety, including social distancing, updates to ventilation systems, students and staff wearing face coverings, among others.
