Mandatory vaccines for teachers/staff and eligible students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a DCPS parent and I agree with Jeff’s posts here. The mayor must first propose a vaccine mandate before the WTU can respond. Teachers are being maligned needlessly. Some are at fault but many are not. Yes, the WTU was at fault last year but I blame the mayor and chancellor even more. Teachers have no faith in central office. I hope this year is better as otherwise I will lose my mind.

why would the union not be able to propose a vaccination mandate? it would be the #1 health and safety measure they could get in a contract. Especially to the extent they can get DCPS to bargain for mandatory vax with staff unions.

Why would they? What about eligible students? What about all the staff in schools that are not part of WTU. Only teachers are WTU. There is a lot of other staff around. Also, what about the security officers at middle and high schools? It makes little sense to fixate on teachers only. What about the entire neighborhood and community around schools? You cannot just single out teachers. Many hospitals are still struggling to make sure all their medical and administrative staff is vaccinated. Some hospitals are only at 60% vaccinated rate. It needs to be a city-wide mandate if anything. The mayor is reluctant for a reason - because it is complicated and from what I have seen - our mayor and chancellor are not trail blazers. They muddle through with some sort of in-between confusing path.

they would do it because vaccination is the #1 way to provide a safe and healthy workplace and school. This is not that hard to understand. Vaccinating all staff is going to go a LOT further than additional ventilation or hand sanitizer. Workplace health and safety are bargained over all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a DCPS parent and I agree with Jeff’s posts here. The mayor must first propose a vaccine mandate before the WTU can respond. Teachers are being maligned needlessly. Some are at fault but many are not. Yes, the WTU was at fault last year but I blame the mayor and chancellor even more. Teachers have no faith in central office. I hope this year is better as otherwise I will lose my mind.

why would the union not be able to propose a vaccination mandate? it would be the #1 health and safety measure they could get in a contract. Especially to the extent they can get DCPS to bargain for mandatory vax with staff unions.

Why would they? What about eligible students? What about all the staff in schools that are not part of WTU. Only teachers are WTU. There is a lot of other staff around. Also, what about the security officers at middle and high schools? It makes little sense to fixate on teachers only. What about the entire neighborhood and community around schools? You cannot just single out teachers. Many hospitals are still struggling to make sure all their medical and administrative staff is vaccinated. Some hospitals are only at 60% vaccinated rate. It needs to be a city-wide mandate if anything. The mayor is reluctant for a reason - because it is complicated and from what I have seen - our mayor and chancellor are not trail blazers. They muddle through with some sort of in-between confusing path.

Maybe you should read what the pp wrote before spouting your talking points or perhaps your reading comprehension is sub-par

they would do it because vaccination is the #1 way to provide a safe and healthy workplace and school. This is not that hard to understand. Vaccinating all staff is going to go a LOT further than additional ventilation or hand sanitizer. Workplace health and safety are bargained over all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The mayor could do a "vax or test" protocol like NYC or the Feds, for all public sector employees. Why Bowser has not....well, she generally seems fairly spineless and in over her head. So I'm not surprised. I would like to have a different mayor, but the choice of a mayors in DC seems to be 1) ineffectual but not corrupt, and 2) driving the city into the ground and corrupt.

As a vaccinated teacher and mom to 2 kids under 12 I'd LOVE to qualify for the free weekly COVID testing. Just for the peace of mind, I wonder if all staff members will be given the option.

There are still many many places to get free tests in DC if you are interested in testing yourself. I personally roll up to the Bernie Backus campus in NE on Thursdays and am in and out in 5 min, without getting out of my car.

Thank you for getting vaccinated!

[Anonymous]

We’re at the deadline of when all DCP staff could be fully vaxxed and still crickets. Those of you freaking out about Delta, why aren’t you on this? Adults in DCPS are well over half of all covid infections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re at the deadline of when all DCP staff could be fully vaxxed and still crickets. Those of you freaking out about Delta, why aren’t you on this? Adults in DCPS are well over half of all covid infections.

Teacher/staff vaccination would offer one of the best protections for unvaccinated children, true.

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher and this is insanity. I don’t want to be around a bunch of unvaccinated people at PD. This should have been mandated last week. I’m so angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it fascinating that we are so concerned about the risk of travelers when we are supposedly ok with teachers and staff not being vaccinated. I would think they pose a much higher risk to kids under 12 than whatever tiny risk might happen from travel.

I don’t know what “we” you are talking about but everyone I know who is planning to follow the Covid rules is also extremely riled up about anti-vax teachers and staff.

I know a bunch of people who think it is racist to require vaccinations but consider the travel quarantine purely an issue for white people, who should follow it. Trust that I don't understand much of the logic there.

Exactly what’s wrong with this city. This city is F’d. And no, I’m neither racist or a Trumpie. I’m a registered Democrat. I’ve lived in this city for 20 years but it’s a joke. Bowser is totally incompetent and this city should be embarrassed at its inability to get people vaccinated on time or our kids back in school. Shameful. Bowser deserves to get booted out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From up-post, here's who to write to:

Phil Mendelson: [e-mail]
Anita Bonds (At Large): [e-mail]
Elissa Silverman (At Large): [e-mail]
Robert White (At Large): [e-mail]
Christina Henderson(At Large): [e-mail]
Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1): [e-mail]
Brooke Pinto (Ward 2): [e-mail]
Mary Cheh (Ward 3): [e-mail]
Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4): [e-mail]
Kenyan McDuffie (Ward 5): [e-mail]
Charles Allen (Ward 6): [e-mail]
Vincent Gray (Ward 7): [e-mail]
Trayon White (Ward 8): [e-mail]

PLUS
Executive office of the mayor:
[e-mail]

Lewis Ferebee (Chancellor)
[e-mail]

Please write. Demand all government employees be required to get vaccinated or weekly tests.

[Anonymous]

It's strange we know exactly how many Washington Football Team players are vaccinated, but we apparently have no info whatsoever on how many teachers are vaccinated. These are public employees. Their salaries are paid by taxpayers. This should be a modicum of transparency here. The D.C. government is so poorly run.

[Anonymous]

Quick question: a vax-or-test protocol for public employees wouldn't impact charters, would it? Is there anything that could be done at the city-wide level for charters? OSSE guidelines?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not "anti WTU," Jeff. I'm pro-keeping-schools-open. Nothing you cited demonstrates that unions are in favor of mandatory vaccination. Randi Weingarten is the AFT (American Federation of Teacher's Union) president -- she was obviously talking about teachers, in the overall context of public employee vaccination requirements. And claiming that "mandatory vaccination should be subject to negotiation" while at the same time saying that mandatory vaccination will lead to a parade of horribles (nurses quitting) is obviously being against mandatory vaccination. AFT opposes mandatory vaccination and that's what the statement you cited means.

I am sorry but your opposition to the WTU has resulted in either you refusing to understand clear language or prevented you from doing so. Either way, the plain text is right before your eyes. The ATF believes that vaccinations "should be a mandatory subject of negotiation..". I'm not sure how more clearly they could say this. The ATF does believe that mandated vaccinations that are not negotiated could be problematic. As I said in the other thread, it is likely that union members are concerned about how medical data would be used and potentially made public. In addition, the union is likely concerned about the fate of those members who can't or won't be vaccinated. Those concerns are not with a mandate itself, but more implementation details. At any rate, with if more than 90 percent of teachers and staff are already vaccinated, a mandate loses much of its significance.

NP. You are leaving in a dream world. The WTU will clearly be against mandatory vaccinations once they start “ negotiating” the issue which essentially means - we will object. What should happen to teachers that refuse? They should get fired. End of story. But it won’t happen because the unions don’t care about public safety and Bower is incompetent and lacking in guts and leadership capabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and this is insanity. I don’t want to be around a bunch of unvaccinated people at PD. This should have been mandated last week. I’m so angry.

Can you contact the union about this/start a petition among teachers? Weekly testing could also be an option for unvaccinated teachers. If the union were to demand it it could get done.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff, are you ok? It's not like you to get into the weeds like this. I say this without any sarcasm.

I am a parent of a DCPS student so why shouldn't I get into the weeds? Beyond that, after a nearly a year and a half of seeing teachers blamed for every evil under the sun, I think I reached my limit. I am constantly amazed that posters here seem to believe that teachers are nothing but stupid lazy, incompetent, slackers (and now anti-vaxxers to boot), but want them to care and educate their children. I understand parents are frustrated -- I'm frustrated too -- but taking it out on teachers and the WTU is not the solution.

that’s a caricature of my position here, Jeff. School closure was very harmful to my SN child, and not justified by public health knowledge in my opinion. It is not “teacher bashing” to be upset about that. It is not “WTU bashing” to ask why they are not affirmatively supporting the single most effective way to keep schools open (mandatory vax) and instead focusing on measures that shift the burden onto my child (cohorts, distancing, masking, and quarantines/closures). And of course there was a LOT of extremely toxic parent bashing on here — I was called a “bad parent” many times, told that my SN kid’s struggles were my fault, I only wanted free daycare, etc.

Actually, bashing teachers -- even if you feel it is justified -- is still "teacher bashing". You are welcome to ask why the WTU is not affirmatively supporting a mandate. The answer to that has been provided many times: DCPS has not proposed a mandate. But, that is not what you have been posting. Rather, you have repeatedly claimed that the WTU opposes a mandate. That is not supported by available facts.

As for posts about bad parents, I have spent a huge amount of time and effort removing them. Sadly, most of those appear to come from other parents. So, blaming teachers for them is another case of misdirected anger.

NP. I’m bashing any teacher that refuses to get vaccinated, except for health reasons. They don’t want to get vaccinated? Great. Then find another job where you won’t be putting my kids at risk. Really very simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not "anti WTU," Jeff. I'm pro-keeping-schools-open. Nothing you cited demonstrates that unions are in favor of mandatory vaccination. Randi Weingarten is the AFT (American Federation of Teacher's Union) president -- she was obviously talking about teachers, in the overall context of public employee vaccination requirements. And claiming that "mandatory vaccination should be subject to negotiation" while at the same time saying that mandatory vaccination will lead to a parade of horribles (nurses quitting) is obviously being against mandatory vaccination. AFT opposes mandatory vaccination and that's what the statement you cited means.

I am sorry but your opposition to the WTU has resulted in either you refusing to understand clear language or prevented you from doing so. Either way, the plain text is right before your eyes. The ATF believes that vaccinations "should be a mandatory subject of negotiation..". I'm not sure how more clearly they could say this. The ATF does believe that mandated vaccinations that are not negotiated could be problematic. As I said in the other thread, it is likely that union members are concerned about how medical data would be used and potentially made public. In addition, the union is likely concerned about the fate of those members who can't or won't be vaccinated. Those concerns are not with a mandate itself, but more implementation details. At any rate, with if more than 90 percent of teachers and staff are already vaccinated, a mandate loses much of its significance.

NP. You are leaving in a dream world. The WTU will clearly be against mandatory vaccinations once they start “ negotiating” the issue which essentially means - we will object. What should happen to teachers that refuse? They should get fired. End of story. But it won’t happen because the unions don’t care about public safety and Bower is incompetent and lacking in guts and leadership capabilities.

I don’t think you can fire teachers like that. So come off the ledge and realize it’s vaccinate or test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's strange we know exactly how many Washington Football Team players are vaccinated, but we apparently have no info whatsoever on how many teachers are vaccinated. These are public employees. Their salaries are paid by taxpayers. This should be a modicum of transparency here. The D.C. government is so poorly run.

+1