Reply to State MCEA Responds to Governor - In a nutshell says, "Nope! Not going back!"

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Reply to "State MCEA Responds to Governor - In a nutshell says, "Nope! Not going back!""

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
There's no mention of the actual health and safety protocols being called for. In fact, it suggests that health and safety protocols were in place in the areas offering in person learning and that these could be assessed to see if they are being met.

If anyone can find links to specific demands, please post them. [/quote]

Actually they always include references to the CDC guidelines for opening which you can find here:
[url]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html[/url]

Summarized, the teachers would like 
- plastic screens between teachers and students
- adequate spacing for children.  If that means PE is outside and classes meet in the gymnasium and closing some hallways and moving some classes into the hallways, so be it
- adequate cleaning tools.  They need to have approved disinfectant and wipes to clean surfaces regularly throughout the day.  They need to have disposable gloves and masks provided for the teachers.  Additionally, they need to have extra masks for the children who forget theirs.  In some cases, teachers are provided supplies for about 2 weeks of cleaning and then told that any additional supplies they will have to supply for themselves.  
- many school districts across the country that opened, have provided the misting disinfectant cleaning nightly or between sessions when they have alternating hybrid learning.  MD schools have not been offered any such disinfecting between groups or days
- vaccinations for educators.   We have placed them in category 1B, but there is no reason that you can't have the policy that teachers do not need to return to high exposure classrooms until they have had at least the first dose of vaccine.  Supposedly the state has enough vaccines, we just need to place a priority on actually getting them into the arms of educators.  I have no idea why you place a higher priority on a 75 year old who can stay at home, than on an educator that is being forced to return to work in a high risk situation.
-health screening including temperature checks before entering schools.  Sending sick children home rather than letting them enter the building

And yet Dr. Salmon has refused to even meet with teachers to discuss any solutions.  She just wants to force the teachers back into classrooms with no protections.

Salmon and Hogan need to put their money where their mouths are and actually offer to meet and discuss the criteria needed to reopen.  But they have no interest in discussing the conditions, they only want to force teachers back into the classrooms for political expediency.  If they really wanted to solve the problem, they would meet with the teachers.

And no, I am not a teacher.  I am an engineer who works for a company that places our health and safety as a primary consideration.  We had all of these and more met in our labs and offices before we had to report back to work (other than the vaccines which the company cannot control).  We now have shielding, we have used alternate spaces so that we minimize the number of individuals in any work space.  We have company offered PPE, cleaners, disinfectants, hand sanitizer.  We have health screening before we enter the work site.  As a parent, I want the teachers and students to have the same protection I was offered by my employer.  But their employer has no interest in discussing the health and safety conditions.[/quote]

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