teachers

As a teacher in Florida, I know how important it is for teachers to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Schools in Florida currently have the hybrid option and an increasing number of families are opting to return their children to school in person. Governor Ron Desantis has declared that schools are essential, so teachers and school staff should be protected by receiving the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.  States such as Oregon have begun vaccinating teachers to ensure that schools can reopen safely. Florida needs to prioritize vaccinating teachers to help keep teachers and staff safe from COVID-19. With new strains emerging and more students returning to school, this is imperative. 

The J&J vaccine has been approved and 80,000 doses will go to Massachusetts in March. We are petitioning for all 80,000 doses to be dedicated to the 72,000 teachers in our state so that the children can return to in person  school. Our great state was founded on strong principles that education is of the highest importance. Let's hold true to that belief by getting teachers back into the classrooms and children back to learning the traditional way. 

As a mom of two little ones (Jack in 3rd grade and Laurel in Kindergarten), I know firsthand the work that teachers do. Teachers this year have had to be so many things. I know our family has relied on our children’s teachers not just for our children’s education, but for their, and our, emotional well-being. Every single person knows a teacher- and it blows my mind that there is not more support for them.  Teacher vaccination must be a priority in New Hampshire. In order for schools to safely reopen, they need resources. And a school’s most valuable resource is their teachers. We need to protect teachers so that they can go back to school safely.  Governor Sununu is not following CDC guidelines when it comes to the vaccination process. The CDC has classified school staff as “frontline essential workers.” This means, that per federal vaccination guidelines, “school personnel- including custodians, food service workers, and bus drivers- along with child care providers, are in category 1b, just after the elderly in long-term care facilities and health care workers.”  The Governor has not been responsive to the attempts of SAU 29’s Superintendent in voicing their concerns, nor does the Governor seem to believe that teachers are at risk. We know this is not true- and we need to protect them. Please sign this petition to encourage Governor Sununu to do the right thing, and prioritize the vaccination of New Hampshire teachers. 

In December of 2020, Governor Jay Inslee & the Washington State Department of Health released guidance for K-12 Schools to reopen.   Instruction for SPED and K-5 to return to work has already been initiated, therefore putting those students, families, and teachers at risk.  Adjustments were made to the threshold for case rates to be under 350 cases/100k citizens/14-day period.  If we are below that metric, then in-person learning resumes.  If cases go over that threshold, remote learning is reinstated.  This instruction was passed down to districts WITHOUT the governor or the Health Department requiring vaccinations to K-12 educators, staff, and students.  The earliest vaccinations would only be available to K-12 educators and staff over 50 years old in February.  The next round of vaccines for educators and students would not be available until Summer/Fall 2021.   The Washington Education Association has urged Governor Inslee and Dr. Umair Shah, of the WA Health Department, to reconsider their position on vaccination. Several educators have already been victim to Covid-19.  Many students and families within our communities have experienced the symptoms and consequences of the virus.  If students, educators, and school staff remain unvaccinated the risk of exposure, contraction, and death increase significantly.  Those most at risk are elderly staff members who are: teachers, paraeducators, office personnel, custodial staff, maintenance staff, IT personnel, district staff, and administrators.  Staff of color, students of color, and families of color are also very vulnerable to unmeasurable harm if they remain unvaccinated.  Members of our districts and communities, who have preexisting conditions, are also added to this growing list of those who are at harm (CDC Guidance on at Risk Groups).  Teacher demographics: 13.6% are people of color (2021) | 32% are over 50 years old (2017) Student Demographics: 49% are multiracial or students of color (2021).  The World Health Organization has limited data due to school closures, yet believes school transmission is low.  The risks escalate as children get older, and the staff to staff transmission is the primary basis of transmission.  This lack of data proves too risky without vaccinations.  If the vaccination schedule remains the same and districts require more individuals to return to work then we are risking the safety of everyone around them.  If vaccinations are offered the order to return to work becomes less likely to cause undo harm.  Therefore, we are petitioning for the following actions: Governor Inslee and Superintendent Reykdal work with local school districts to prioritize creating additional vaccine sites in communities of color, who are most at risk of infection, health complications, and dying of Covid-19.  Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington State Health Department adjust the vaccination schedule to include ALL K-12 educators and staff in Phase 1B Tier 2. Governor Inslee and Superintendent Reykdal communicate to Washington State families and communities that vaccinations are a priority to return to in-person learning. Governor Jay Inslee and OSPI Superintendent Chris Reykdal collaborate on halting the return to in-person learning (including PK-5 and SPED students who have already returned to campus) until vaccines are distributed and available to educators and staff.