Photo / Jimwestphoto.com
As Trump and his minion, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, call for reopening schools, claiming the science should not stand in the way and threatening to withdraw federal funds to states that refuse, teachers are organizing resistance and speaking out in defense of their students, families, and coworkers. One in four teachers is at a higher risk of serious illness if they’re infected with the coronavirus, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. And, Jason Patton, a math teacher says, “African Americans are more susceptible to losing their lives from COVID. … We want to be back with our children, but we’re not willing to be put at risk for someone’s political agenda. Our children are not your guinea pigs.” Below are comments from some teachers’ organizations:
Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Jesse Sharkey: “We stand for a safe and equitable reopening of the schools, but today COVID-19 cases are soaring instead of dissipating. … There is simply no way to guarantee safety for in-school learning during an out-of-control pandemic, and that means we must revert to remote learning until the spread of this virus is contained.”
New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta: “Health and safety of students, families, educators and other school staff, and equitable access to a high-quality education must be the top priorities in reopening schools. The federal government’s demands that schools reopen without concern for health, safety and equity are simply out of touch. Thankfully here in New York, we know the governor, the regents and fellow education stakeholders are taking this seriously. Our work with them continues.”
United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA): “[Our] educators are eager to get back to classrooms where they can care for, laugh with, and most importantly, teach our students. But even more than teaching, our job in a pandemic is to keep students and communities safe. The eventual restarting of schools should be primarily about learning, not merely about the economy. Unlike other countries that recognize protecting lives is the key to protecting livelihoods, the United States has chosen to prioritize profits over people. The Trump administration’s attempt to force people to return to work on a large scale depends on restarting schools so parents have childcare.”
