Face-to-face instruction by fall? Several Fairfax County teacher unions are saying no.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va — Three Fairfax County teacher unions are calling for Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) leaders to delay face-to-face instruction and start the school year with virtual instruction.
“I don’t want to leave teaching, but I want to feel safe at work,” said librarian Tiffany Dowling during a virtual town hall with the three unions. “Now we are being asked to make a hasty decision for our children and ourselves with so few answers.”
The unions called the school district's re-opening plan incomplete and lacking transparency.
“We all want kids back in school as quickly as possible, but that also means as safe as possible,” said Tina Williams, President of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.
Union leaders want more details to questions about safety, such as what and how much protective equipment they will receive, and how good the ventilation is throughout each school.
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“I don’t have enough information to make a decision for my children, or to state a preference for myself—too many questions remain unanswered," said Becca Ferrick, President of the Association of Fairfax Professional Educators. “As a teacher though, I am extremely anxious that I don’t have that same power for myself. As a teacher, I can’t make a choice.”
Virginia coronavirus cases have been decreasing, and the Commonwealth just initiated Phase Three of re-opening.
Cases are on the rise, however, in more than three dozen states with 50,000 new pending cases across the country.
“There are so many risks without answers right now and the [Fairfax Education Association] is still of the belief that a vaccination or a widely available treatment for COVID-19 is necessary before a full return to in-person instruction can be achieved safely,” said Kimberly Adams, President of the Fairfax Education Association.
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FCPS provided ABC7 with the following statement:
Today’s town hall reflected the desire among FCPS staff and our community for more information and perspectives on the health and safety of returning to school. There were many difficult questions posed by all speakers that highlighted topics we are all continuing to wrestle with to ensure the safety and health of our students and staff-in the midst of rapidly changing and evolving information from public health officials regarding the virus. As the speakers pointed out, we ALL share the desire for our students to return to the classroom but we must also prepare for the possibility that virtual learning will be a reality in the year ahead. To help prepare for that possibility, our instructional services department continues to develop staff training as well as family resources and supports for distance learning. All schools will be receiving PPE and other supplies before the start of school including: Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, face coverings, gloves, plexiglass shields planned for open public areas such as front offices, temporal thermometers, cleaning supplies, parents will be asked to complete a form before the first day of school indicating they will complete a daily health screening of their student(s), temperature checks before school starts each day for those students who have not returned the form, masks to be required in school and on buses, as developmentally appropriate, when social distancing cannot be maintained.
