[ad_1]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The President of the American Federation of Teachers urges Governor Jim Justice to implement statewide masking and vaccination mandates in schools in West Virginia.
“I think he should issue an indoor mask warrant, but I don’t think it should go on forever,” Randi Weingarten told MetroNews during a stop Thursday in Charleston.
Justice continued to leave security decisions related to COVID-19 to local school districts. Some county school systems have issued mask warrants as cases increase statewide with the continued threat of the Delta variant.
Last week, students and staff at Kanawha County Capital High School moved to virtual learning after more than two dozen positive cases were reported to the school.
Weingarten, who represents 1.7 million educators nationwide, said it was nothing new to require vaccines in schools.
“Vaccines have always been with us. Just as a response from the whole of society was to have Social Security or Medicare, it’s about making sure that we can protect everyone, ”she said.
Currently, children under 12 cannot be vaccinated, so Weingarten said older children and adults should try to do their part.
“One of the reasons so many of us have embraced the mandates and demands of our employers for vaccines is that we feel responsible to our communities, especially to our children under 12 who cannot. not get vaccinated, ”she said.
Parents across the state have staged protests against mask warrants, saying those decisions should be left to each family because every child is different.
There was a heated discussion at Putnam County School Board Meeting Last Week where a majority of parents opposed masks in schools before board members voted to make it a recommendation. A student at Hurricane Middle School spoke of health issues and breathing difficulties while wearing a face covering.
At Friday’s coronavirus press conference at the State Capitol, justice reiterated its position on COVID warrants even after West Virginia health officials announced another spike in active cases that have exceeded the 13,000 mark.
“I am not a defender of mandates. I am not a fan of masks. We have gone through enough, ”said the governor.
Weingarten called the current state of the COVID crisis an “unvaccinated pandemic”.
She said if the nation continues this upward trend, there are concerns that schools will have no choice but to return to online classes.
“What you are seeing across the country is that nobody wants to go back to virtual learning. The benefits of being in school are obvious, ”Weingarten said.
AFT spent $ 5 million in grants to help schools across the country resume in-person learning this year. Part of the effort is to offer immunization clinics and to answer parents’ questions by going door-to-door.
“We have to make sure communities are protected and safe,” Weingarten said. “This is how you make sure you have an economy that works and that you have schools that work. “
[ad_2]
Source link