Teachers union: Shutter schools until ’21
Group says supplies and protocols to prevent spread of COVID-19 are lacking
A key union is advocating for New Mexico public schools to remain closed through the end of the year, citing concerns about the safety of teachers and students amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The New Mexico affiliate of the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the country, is urging Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to keep learning virtual until 2021, expressing doubts that the well-being of educators can be ensured if students return to class in the fall.
“There’s a very real fear throughout the state that schools are not ready and neither is the Department of Health,” union President Mary Parr-Sanchez said Friday.
State officials have set a goal of reopening schools after Labor Day through a hybrid model that would combine in-person classes on campus with remote learning. But Lujan Grisham said this week the state hadn’t yet determined whether it would meet that target.
A main reason for the union’s position, Parr-Sanchez said, was that most educators it polled in the state believe school districts don’t have enough personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
She also said state health officials have not given enough details on “rapid response” testing programs they will provide for employees ranging from bus drivers to food-service workers to teachers.
“Just imagine that kids are back in class across the state,” Parr-Sanchez said. “Are we prepared for that? I know the answer. We are not.”
The union recently sent a report to Lujan Grisham with several recommendations, including the request to keep schools closed through December. Parr-Sanchez said the executive branch confirmed receipt of the report.
The Governor’s Office said Friday its position had not changed and that it was still aiming to approve a return to in-person learning after Labor Day.
“We are optimistic we can get to a place where some form of hybrid model
can take place in a phased approach for different ages,” said spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said.
Still, the decision will depend on the spread of the novel coronavirus and how New Mexicans fare in their actions to mitigate it, she said.
Lujan Grisham and Human Services Secretary David Scrase released data Thursday showing continued improvement in the state’s quest to beat back the virus that abruptly closed schools in New Mexico in March.
New Mexico’s transmission rate, for instance, is at 0.73, well below the state’s goal of 1.05 and an indication the virus is in decline.
Yet the governor also expressed caution about reopening schools and more business activities, noting the state will need to do so in a “slow” fashion once the time comes.
Lujan Grisham also said officials will monitor how school districts in other states and countries fare over the next two weeks, comparing their COVID-19 measures with New Mexico’s.
The New Mexico School Boards Association said Friday it hadn’t yet made any recommendations on when the state should reopen schools for in-person learning.
“We haven’t taken a position on that,” said Executive Director Joe Guillen. “We’re leaving those decisions to the Public Education Department with input and final decision by school boards.”
Stephanie Ly, president of the American Federation of Teachers-New Mexico union, did not respond to a call seeking comment Friday.
The National Education Association made other recommendations in its report, calling for school districts to provide “clear and reasonable plans for enforcing” COVID-19 guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mandates from the Public Education Department.
“The burden of disinfecting, securing [personal protective equipment], mask wearing and social distancing enforcement cannot be simply piled on educators as additional job-responsibilities on top of instruction,” said the report, which was obtained by The New Mexican.
The union also urged the state to “ensure adequate sick leave for educators who contract the virus.”
A spokeswoman for the Public Education Department said Friday the state would ensure public schools and students have the necessary personal protective equipment when in-person learning begins, adding districts have budgeted over $30 million to pay for such gear and cleaning activities through the use of federal stimulus funding.
“No school will be allowed to bring in staff or students if adequate [personal protective equipment] is not provided,” said spokeswoman Deborah Martinez.
Martinez also said teachers can receive paid sick leave for reasons related to COVID-19 under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and sick leave is also determined by policies overseen by local school boards.
Meanwhile, the state Health Department said COVID-19 planning and prevention have been “very challenging” given the unparalleled nature of the pandemic.
No final decisions have been made regarding rapid testing or other issues “because we await further data to make informed decisions for all things related to face-to-face class instruction,” said spokesman David Morgan.
“The coming weeks and the viral case numbers will drive our decisions,” Morgan said.
“We are every bit as concerned for the safety of teachers, staff and students as the NEA is, and our agencies aren’t done here,” he added. “We are awaiting more data to make better decisions closer to the return of face-to-face instruction.”