By Randi Weingarten
The AFT is committed to ensuring that every person in America has the freedom to thrive—especially children. That’s why we’ve been fighting to safely reopen school buildings since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Children have gone hungry and suffered from social isolation. Families have struggled in so many ways, from tragic deaths to job losses. Although educators and school staff have made herculean efforts, remote learning was never a substitute for in-person learning—even for those students with reliable internet access. Despite legitimate fears for their own and their families’ health, educators understand the importance of in-person instruction, but they have a right to be safe.
Reopening schools safely requires tools, time, and trust. Tools of mitigation, testing, and resources to prevent transmission of this deadly, invisible virus and to meet the academic, emotional, and social needs of our students and families. Time to put those tools in place. And trust that as new information emerges—such as variants of COVID-19—district leaders and other key officials will work with us to prioritize safety. The Trump administration fell down on all of this.
Thankfully, the Biden administration is literally a breath of fresh air in this fight against the COVID-19 respiratory virus. It has been transparent and honest—making decisions based on science and on the needs of Americans. President Biden is committed to safely reopening the majority of K–8 school buildings for in-person learning in his first 100 days and has championed the bold level of funding needed to increase vaccinations, support state and local governments, and provide critical resources to schools and colleges. Under Biden’s leadership, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released (as it should have a year ago) a rigorous road map that our members can use to fight for a safe reopening.
Read the rest of the piece in American Educator here.