Vermont-NEA News

BREAKING: Allowing Educators to Receive COVID Vaccinations Ends Months of Uncertainty

Allowing Educators to Receive COVID Vaccinations Ends Months of Uncertainty

The governor’s decision acknowledges that inoculations are a key factor in safely returning to full in-person learning

MONTPELIER – The union representing school employees today applauds the decision to vaccinate educators beginning next week, saying the move validates pleas from front-line educators and administrators. The following statement can be attributed to Don Tinney, a high school English teacher who serves as president of Vermont-NEA:

“Our 12,000 members, along with administrators, superintendents, and school boards, have been loud and clear on the need to vaccinate school employees. Indeed, vaccinating school employees is a key factor in any decision to offer full in-person instruction.

“For almost a year now, Vermont’s educators have worked tirelessly to keep schools – if not school buildings – open for learning. Most of the state’s schools already offer at least some type of in-person instruction because of the hard work of school employees to implement health and safety measures. Adding vaccinations to the mix will only improve the pandemic mitigation practices already in place.

"Nobody wants to see students return to the state’s classrooms more than teachers, paraeducators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, school nurses, and administrators. But, as we’ve said all along, this can only happen when it is demonstrably safe to do so. Vaccinating school employees is a big step in the right direction.”

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Darren Allen Mar 02 2021