Vermont-NEA News

BREAKING: Scott Misses Mark by Scuttling Statewide Schools Reopening Commission

Gov. Scott Misses Mark by Scuttling Statewide Schools Reopening Commission

Shutting out front-line educators, parents from decision-making table is not the way toward a safe resumption of in-person instruction

 

MONTPELIER – Gov. Phil Scott’s decision today to reject a call for a statewide school reopening commission is a mistake that will make it harder for Vermont schools to safely reopen to in-person instruction, according to the state’s largest union.

“We were hoping that the governor and education secretary would want to make use of the expertise and creativity of our dedicated educators and caregivers to help craft a state plan that would protect the health and safety of the students they teach and care for,” said Don Tinney, a high school English teacher who serves as the elected president of the 13,000-member Vermont-NEA. “We firmly believe that the only way to safely reopen schools is to have teachers, paraeducators, bus drivers, school nurses, guidance counselors, food service workers, custodians, and parents and caregivers in decision-making roles as the state provides requirements for safely reopening our schools.”

Weeks ago, the union called for the creation of such a statewide commission that would produce requirements that all school districts must meet before safely reopening. And while union officials have been asked to provide feedback on plans developed by Scott’s administration, it is vital that front-line school employees are included in the decision-making process.

“While we appreciate the administration’s recent health and safety guidelines for school employees, they do not constitute a plan for safely reopening our schools,” Tinney said. “We cannot leave the details of reopening to individual school districts, who are crying out for statewide requirements on safely reopening schools. We’ve said all along that nobody wants to return to the classroom more than Vermont educators, but we can’t do so unless we are assured that all schools will be able to operate safely for students, educators, and our communities.”

The state’s educators are clearly worried that without universally applied statewide health and safety requirements in every single school building, safely reopening our schools will be impossible. Indeed, during a virtual town hall Wednesday with Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont’s health commissioner, and Dr. Breena Holmes, the department’s maternal and child health director, more than 500 educators posted dozens of questions about dozens of issues that must be settled before it is safe to reopen our schools.

Tinney urged the governor to reconsider, given that many schools are slated to begin the next academic year in a little over a month. “It is time for action,” Tinney said. “As it stands right now, local school districts are left to themselves to figure out safety requirements, and that’s not sufficient. All districts – all students and educators – deserve statewide safety requirements grounded in science and guided by the expertise of front-line school employees.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Earlier this month, 14 Vermont teachers of the year wrote to Education Secretary Dan French urging the creation of a statewide schools reopening commission. Their letter can be found here.

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Darren Allen Jul 10 2020
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