Texas teachers unions hold their ground on school-reopening debate

Parents, teachers, school boards and other groups throughout Texas all have opinions about how, when and why schools should or should not reopen for in-person learning while the COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat.

Among the loudest voices in the debate are the state's numerous teachers unions. When Gov. Greg Abbott, House Education Committee Chair Dan Huberty and others released a statement on on July 31 about reopening Texas schools, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) dismissed it.

“[The governor's statement] attempts to reassure school districts they have the power to make the best decisions for their communities, but it provides no real assurances of support, guidance, additional funding or resources from the state,” the ATPE wrote in reaction. “This statement does not help school districts in any tangible manner.”

TSTA President Noel Candelaria | LinkedIn

In June, the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) issued a statement about the reopening of schools. 

“Millions of lives are at stake, beginning with our children, our educators, their families and communities,” TSTA President Noel Candelaria said.

The TSTA asked for safety protocols, including requirement of face coverings for students and staff members, regular testing and social distancing in classrooms.  

The Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA) has also weighed in on the controversial topic. Some but not all of the TCTA’s recommendations include the following:

• That schools must be closed for on-site instruction until safe for students and employees, as determined by local health authorities based on factors established at the federal and state level, including the number of COVID-19 infected individuals in the county, the trajectory of infection rates and the time period during which infection rates should be at or below a particular level;
• Determinations of the suitability of on-site instruction should include considerations such as the ability of a district to provide protection to students and employees (e.g., masks and distancing) as needed;
• Funding structures should not jeopardize the ability of schools to safely reopen for on-site instruction by providing less funding for students participating in remote learning during the pandemic;
• Decisions about the number of students allowed to return safely to on-site instruction should be made by local health authorities in accordance with state and federal recommendations, based on local health conditions, and implemented by local school districts;
• Policies should prioritize certain student groups to be provided with on-site instruction when safe to do so, including for students in grades K-2, students most likely to have suffered a COVID slide (SPED, EL, at-risk and students with significant learning gaps), and students with limited or no access to the internet;
• Districts must plan for situations in which some staff will not be available for in-person instruction, based on underlying health risks, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations, or other factors.

Innovative Teachers of Texas (ITT) Board President Jennifer Winter says her union has a different take on the matter. When Education Daily Wire reached out, she referred to the union’s statement posted on their website, and the organization’s Facebook page. The statement reads as follows:

“ITT supports teachers as individuals and their ability to do what is best for students. Teachers and parents should decide if schools should be open at the local and individual level rather than state and federal mandates. ITT believes we must do what is best for children and their futures. Parents and teachers must be allowed to decide accordingly.”  

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its own statement following a July study.

“The best available evidence from countries that have opened schools indicates that COVID-19 poses low risks to school-aged children, at least in areas with low community transmission, and suggests that children are unlikely to be major drivers of the spread of the virus,” the CDC said. “Reopening schools creates opportunity to invest in the education, well-being and future of one of America’s greatest assets – our children – while taking every precaution to protect students, teachers, staff and all their families."

The study notes that research shows the transmission of COVID-19 among children is low, and that in-school instruction does provides far more for students than education.

“The in-person school environment supports the development of social and emotional skills, creates a safe environment for learning, addresses nutritional needs and facilitates physical activity,” the CDC report said.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath and other state education leaders say it is safe for schools to reopen now, and the Texas Education Association (TEA) has released guidelines on safety protocols and is allowing parents to choose between in-person instruction in the classrooms or online schooling.

As widely reported over the last two days, positive COVID tests in Georgia's Cherokee County School District have forced school closures and the quarantine of more than 900 students just one week after reopening.