School reopening tests Biden’s tie to teachers

Unions seek vaccines first, but critics push back

The increasingly heated school reopening debate is forcing President Joe Biden to balance two priorities: getting children back into the classroom and preserving the support of powerful labor groups that helped him get elected.

Following weeks of standoff in some cities and states where teachers unions are demanding vaccines as a condition of reopening, the issue came to a head Wednesday when Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said vaccination of teachers “is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools.”

But in a juggling of positions, the White House declined to back Walensky, saying she was speaking “in her personal capacity.” Asked Friday about her earlier comments, Walensky punted.

Walensky on Wednesday cited CDC data showing that social distancing and wearing a mask significantly reduce the spread of the virus in school settings. Just a week earlier, the agency issued a study similarly finding that, with mask wearing and other precautions, it’s generally safe to hold in-person schooling.

Unions largely met Walensky’s comments with a shrug. With the right mix of safety measures in places, teachers unions generally agree the vaccines aren’t a condition for reopening.

The problem is that many schools are far behind on ventilation updates and other important measures recommended by health officials, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

“Vaccinations go from a priority to essential if you can’t do some of these basic mitigation strategies,” Weingarten said. “Rather than keep these schools closed for months, why not vaccinate teachers more quickly?”

In Chicago, vaccinations have been a major sticking point between the city and the teachers union as they work to negotiate a return to the classroom.

At a Friday news conference held by the Chicago Teachers Union, special education teacher Dawn Kelly said teachers want to return but feel they aren’t being protected.

“We want to come back to school. I miss my babies, I want to hug my students, I want to sit on the carpet and do read-alongs, but right now it’s just not safe,” she said.

Both of the nation’s two major teachers unions endorsed Biden for president, including the National Education Association, whose 3 million members include first lady Jill Biden, who is a longtime community college professor.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said efforts to get students back in the classroom have been blocked by “rich, powerful unions that donate huge sums to Democrats and get a stranglehold over education in many communities.”

Some on the left have issued similar rebukes, including former New York Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, who said on MSNBC that Biden must “stand up” to teachers unions and force a return to the classroom.

In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom cited Walensky’s comment as evidence that it’s safe to reopen schools before all teachers get vaccines. He has been pressing schools to reopen for weeks, but so far it appears the CDC’s finding has done little to persuade teachers to return.

The Associated Press Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that vaccination of teachers “is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools,” a view not entirely endorsed by many of the nation’s teachers unions.