The two largest national teachers unions in the U.S. still oppose immediately reopening schools despite the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study …
The two largest national teachers unions in the U.S. still oppose immediately reopening schools despite the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that suggested schools aren’t drivers of coronavirus transmission. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA) didn’t change their views on school reopenings after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study Tuesday that suggested in-person instruction is safe. The AFT repeated the message it has repeated throughout the pandemic when asked about the study by the Daily Caller News Foundation while the NEA didn’t respond to multiple calls and emails. “Right now there is fear and pain everywhere—and we can only calm those fears if we follow the science and secure the tools and safeguards we need to reopen,” AFT spokesperson Andrew Crook told the DCNF in response to the study. “Teachers know how important in-person instruction is, but we have to make it safe.” Among 17 Wisconsin schools analyzed, school transmission was lower than transmission in the surrounding community, according to the CDC study released Wednesday. Just seven coronavirus cases total could be traced back to schools. A CDC report accompanying the study said there is “little evidence” overall that schools contribute to community transmission.
