WASHINGTON—In response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated COVID-19 guidance for schools, AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:
“Today’s guidance is grounded in both science and common sense. It takes what we’ve learned about COVID transmission in the last few months—from in-school learning, camps and the efficacy of vaccines—and charts a course for schools to fully reopen this fall.
“The guidance confirms two truths: that students learn better in the classroom, and that vaccines remain our best bet to stop the spread of this virus and get our kids and educators fully back to those classrooms for in-person learning. It also makes clear that masking is important in the absence of vaccination. For educators across the country, this guidance sets a floor, not a ceiling; it builds on the evidence we have about COVID transmission and reminds us that we must remain committed to other mitigation strategies so every school building is safe and welcoming for all, including those who are still too young to be vaccinated and those who cannot be.
These additional safety measures include masking if not vaccinated, upgraded ventilation, regular testing, three feet of physical distance, and accommodations where necessary, particularly for those for whom vaccines are not efficacious. As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 reality, we are working hard to build trust in our public school communities, which means listening to the parents and educators who are worried about safety as well as those who are eager to return to a world without COVID protocols— everyone has a place in our public schools.
“We share the growing concern over the delta variant, as well as the evolving science around COVID transmission in young people, all of which make it incumbent upon school districts to remain committed both to vaccinations, and to these safety protocols. But our ultimate goal remains: to get students, teachers and staff back in school buildings full time, and to make sure they’re safe while doing it.
Right now, the best way we know how to do that is to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated, and in fact, dozens of AFT affiliates around the country are holding vaccine clinics and drives in their communities to make that happen.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
The American Federation of Teachers is a union of 1.7 million professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.
Randi Weingarten Fedrick C. Ingram Evelyn DeJesus
PRESIDENT SECRETARY-TREASURER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
Communications Department • 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W. • Washington, DC 20001 • T: 202-879-4458 • F: 202-879-4580 • www.aft.org
AFT Teachers • AFT PSRP • AFT Higher Education • AFT Public Employees • AFT Nurses and Health Professionals
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Only liberals could turn the whole school apparatus into a national joke. If you can, take your children out of it.
Dear AFT President,
I would strongly urge you to get in touch with actual science and data in regards to children and their health. There is VAST amounts of data to demonstrate that masks cause Harm to children.
In addition, the “vaccines” have killed more than 6,000 people already and has over 300,000 adverse events. Which science are your referring to? There is a 99.0% survival rate if you get covid with highly successful therapies to overcome this illness.
The fact that you are promoting your teachers to get killed by execution and harm to children, means you can’t read scientific literature and should not be representing teachers. You are the reason parents will take their children OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL. Then, you won’t have a job.
Actually Weingarten is doing a good job of representing union teachers, just not science.
What, no comment on following the science?
FOLLOW THE SCIENCE !!!!!!
I’m no apologist for teachers unions. Weingarten is protecting his union members without any consideration for science or the truth.