All DC public and private school staff should be vaccinated, says Bowser

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If you work for DC public schools, you need to be vaccinated, Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday.

All DC school employees will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by November, Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday, removing the possibility of undergoing regular testing.

The requirement includes public and private schools, as well as day care staff, bus drivers, security personnel and coaches.

The mayor’s order begins on November 1. There are no options to opt out.

In addition, student-athletes aged 12 and over should also be vaccinated before November 1.

The announcement comes weeks after a school year that left parents frustrated with inconsistent school communication and protocols.

“We know that vaccinations are the most effective tool to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect children who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine,” Bowser said.

“This new mandate requirement, with no testing option, will add another critical layer to the robust measures we have implemented to reopen our schools and keep our daycares safe,” she said. We also know that sport is a high risk activity. Requiring athletes to get vaccinated will not only ensure that they stay safe, but also that they stay in class and can participate in extracurricular sports activities in school settings. “

The vaccination obligation applies to all employees, contractors, interns and volunteers working in person in:

  • DC Public School
  • Public charter school
  • Private school
  • Parish school
  • Child care facility regulated by the Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)

The requirement applies, but is not limited to:

  • Teachers, student teachers, teacher assistants, substitute teachers and teaching trainees;
  • Before and after school teachers, program managers and assistants;
  • Guidance counselors;
  • Principals and other school leaders, program coordinators and administrators;
  • Coaches, coaches, athletic directors, referees, match or match officials and media specialists in schools filming matches and training sessions;
  • Librarians and school library staff;
  • Technological support staff who work in schools;
  • Social workers;
  • School bus drivers;
  • School security personnel;
  • Aid for children with special needs in schools;
  • Cafeteria, janitorial and building maintenance staff;
  • Volunteers who are in schools regularly, but do not include mature students in schools.

DC Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee told Megan Cloherty of OMCP that there were 1,400 children in quarantine so far.

Neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland, also requires teachers and school staff to get vaccinated – with no option of weekly testing for most employees. Additionally, Montgomery County and Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in Virginia also require student-athlete vaccination.

“The mayor’s action today to demand immunizations for all teachers – public, private and private – as well as child care workers in the District of Columbia will save lives,” said Christina Henderson, member of the At-Large Council, in a press release.

“This is a critical step in the right direction to protect our students and our school communities. Before the start of the school year, when the FDA fully approved the Pfizer vaccine for people 12 years of age and older, I and seven of my colleagues applied for this warrant. I’m glad we took action today.

After Bowser’s announcement, Ward 3 council member Mary Cheh welcomed the mayor’s decision, but said there was still more to do.

Cheh told the OMCP that eligible students should also be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and that equipped schools should regularly have lunch outside. She also pleaded for more clarity on the quarantine protocol and vaccination clinics set up in schools.

“I don’t think his recent changes go far enough,” Cheh said, “but it’s great that we are getting things done, in particular, no longer excluding employees from the school system.”

In a statement, the founding executive director of the DC Charter School Alliance, Shannon Hodge, said that “the vast majority of public charter schools strongly support the implementation of vaccination mandates for school personnel as a condition of employment, without any other test option ”.

“Many charter schools have already imposed these mandates. Others are ready to do it, but are convinced that careful coordination with the city is necessary for a successful implementation. Charter school leaders and the DC Charter School Alliance stand ready to work with Mayor Bowser, DC Public Schools and DC Health to ensure we provide safe spaces to learn and adequately protect students and staff in the fight against COVID-19, ”Hodge said.

The Washington Teachers Union said “there must be accommodations, negotiated with the union, for those who benefit from legitimate religious or medical exemptions, and an agreement on how to treat people who do not fall under those exemptions.” “.

The union statement added: “We would have hoped that a vaccination mandate would be discussed in advance with the WTU, since changes in working conditions are a mandatory subject of negotiation. We need to get clarification and resolve this issue through negotiation immediately. “

The DC Council urged Bowser to drop the COVID testing option for school workers in August.

In early August, Bowser said all DC government employees – including teachers and staff at DC public schools – had until September 19 to be fully immunized or undergo a weekly COVID-19 test. DC charter schools have also announced a similar requirement.

A council hearing focused on the first weeks of the school year in Washington is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

More news on the coronavirus

Looking for more information? DC, Maryland, and Virginia each publish more data each day. Visit their official websites here: Virginia | Maryland | CC



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