As the academic school year approaches and the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the U.S., the focus is increasingly focused on the safety and security of the teachers and children they teach.
This concern is so prevalent that the American Federation of Teachers announced Tuesday that it would support any local chapter that decides to strike over insufficient or unsafe reopening plans.
Weighing the risks of reopening schools amid a Covid pandemic
“Just as we have done with our health workers, we will fight on all fronts for the safety of our students and their educators,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in an opening speech. “But if the authorities do not do it well, and do not protect the safety and health of those we represent and those we serve, there is nothing off the table, no defense or protests, negotiations, complaints or demands, or, if necessary as a last resort, security strikes. “
The American Federation of Teachers represents 1.7 million members and is the largest teacher union in the country. Sixty-six percent of union members were reportedly willing to return to physical classrooms “before the virus resurfaced,” according to Weingarten, but now its members are wondering if they should return as soon as or not at all while the guarantees are in doubt.
In the U.S., more than 4.4 million Americans have been infected with the new coronavirus, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Panel COVID-19, which has been aware of the pandemic since late January.
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More than 150,645 people in the US have lost their lives to respiratory disease at the time of publication, the data shows.
Growing numbers have pushed the union to update its “Safe Reopening of School Buildings” plan, which outlines conditions it deems necessary for safe operation, including reopening of buildings in areas with low infection rates and access to testing. , security protocols to minimize the spread of the virus, as well as resources and funds to support initiatives.
According to reports, hundreds of billions of dollars would be needed to satisfy these conditions, according to Weingarten.
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President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have urged schools to continue reopening plans in recent weeks.
“All districts should be making preparations to open,” Trump declared at a press conference on Thursday. “It is something very, very important. It is not politics.”
However, the American Federation of Teachers characterized those statements as “virus denial” and went on to write that Trump and DeVos “launched a week-long campaign to force the reopening with threats and bravado.”
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The union is providing legal and financial resources for local chapters that may choose to attack, and even has a coronavirus-related legal guide published for members who want to know their rights during a public health emergency.
Additionally, the union has released 12 coronavirus resources to help teachers and parents navigate online learning.
Sixty-six percent of parents with children enrolled in a K-12 school have said they would prefer that the education be done in person this fall, according to a Gallup Panel survey conducted between May 25 and June 8. Thirty-seven percent said they would prefer a hybrid learning environment that resets children in the classroom part of the time, while 7 percent said they prefer full-time distance learning.
