Include All Teachers' Voices in School Reopening Plans

The Issue

Schools are hurriedly making plans to reopen in the Fall. Many states are going ahead with face to face arrangements in spite of a failure to adequately control the COVID-19 infection rate. Feckless government leadership has actually threatened schools who don't reopen in the fall with funding cuts!

Missing from discussions about reopening school is the voice of teachers. With over 3 million teachers in the U.S., this is a glaring omission. In spite of being hailed as heroes, their efforts and experiences in the Spring are being largely ignored as states and districts decide what will happen in the Fall.  Teachers, along with children, will be most at-risk if proper safeguards are not in place. On top of the health risks, states will now expect teachers to teach both online and in-person, and still meet the academic needs of all students--many of whom simply disappeared in March.

Contact your Chief State School Officer and 1) insist they include all teachers in reopening plans, and 2) affirm teachers' firsthand knowledge and experiences in resuming the education of 50 million students across the U.S. A clickable map with your state's chief education official contact information is here: https://ccsso.org/ 

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Joel JuddPetition Starter
This petition had 73,301 supporters

The Issue

Schools are hurriedly making plans to reopen in the Fall. Many states are going ahead with face to face arrangements in spite of a failure to adequately control the COVID-19 infection rate. Feckless government leadership has actually threatened schools who don't reopen in the fall with funding cuts!

Missing from discussions about reopening school is the voice of teachers. With over 3 million teachers in the U.S., this is a glaring omission. In spite of being hailed as heroes, their efforts and experiences in the Spring are being largely ignored as states and districts decide what will happen in the Fall.  Teachers, along with children, will be most at-risk if proper safeguards are not in place. On top of the health risks, states will now expect teachers to teach both online and in-person, and still meet the academic needs of all students--many of whom simply disappeared in March.

Contact your Chief State School Officer and 1) insist they include all teachers in reopening plans, and 2) affirm teachers' firsthand knowledge and experiences in resuming the education of 50 million students across the U.S. A clickable map with your state's chief education official contact information is here: https://ccsso.org/ 

avatar of the starter
Joel JuddPetition Starter

The Decision Makers

Chief State School Officers
Chief State School Officers
State Departments of Education
State Departments of Education
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Petition created on July 9, 2020