Stock photo
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According to a recent poll from Reuters/Ipsos, 55% of Americans do not think it would be safe to reopen schools at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The poll was conducted July 14 and 15, with 1,114 respondents over the age of 18.
As states and districts plan to reopen their schools, Education Austin, the Teachers and Employees’ Union for Austin Independent School District (AISD), has released a list of conditions. Some of the demands make sense while others appear to be inappropriate for the current climate.
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Those demands include, but are not limited to, the following:
Changing the start date for the 2020-2021 academic year from Aug. 18 to Sept. 8 for all schools;
Nine weeks of online learning (including an SEL component) after the Sept. 8 start date;
Reopening AISD schools when a decline in new COVID-19 cases happens for a minimum of 14 consecutive days, a positive test rate of less than 5%, and a transmission rate of less than 1%;
Establishment of a COVID-19 Task Force prior to August 18, to include parents, guardians, students, staff, teachers, Education Austin and other community stakeholders;
Public sharing of a clear and concise written reopening and safety plan for all campuses and facilities;
A guarantee of 100% pay, no furloughs and no layoffs for AISD employees;
“Hero pay” at the rate of 1.5 times for classified or hourly staff (i.e. custodial, transportation, etc.) that physically report to work;
Personal protective equipment should be supplied to all students, staff and campus visitors;
Strict protocols for social distancing, hand-washing, wearing of masks, face shields or goggles, and testing, contact tracing and other procedures for students and staff;
No standardized test administration (STAAR, AISD benchmark tests).
The Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that one-fifth of Americans say the school districts should determine when (17%) and how (19%) schools reopen, not state boards. Not only that, but 40% of respondents say that public health experts should determine when and how schools reopen.
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