Feb-Mar 2021 Advisor

PRESIDING

10 CEA ADVISOR FEBRUARY–MARCH 2021

‘AMERICAN EDUCATORS, THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR YOU ALL’ President hits the ground running on school safety, investments

On the campaign trail, Joe Biden pledged to provide teachers with the pay and dignity they deserve, invest in schools, particularly in the midst of a crippling pandemic, and ensure that all children are prepared to succeed in tomorrow’s economy regardless of their ZIP code, household income, race, or disability. Within the first moments of his acceptance speech, he welcomed a new day for educators. Since taking office on January 20, President Biden has quickly begun formalizing the promises he made during the campaign and transition, calling on Congress to provide $130 billion in dedicated funding to support schools, plus another $350 billion to help states make up for budgetary shortfalls brought on by the pandemic’s economic impact—the kind of flexible state and local relief that helps districts avoid layoffs and add resources so that schools can open safely. Funding would provide more PPE and regular COVID testing, reduce class sizes to allow for social distancing, address school transportation and building ventilation needs, tackle the digital divide, bring on more counselors to

address students’ social and emotional needs, and provide additional learning supports for students. One of the key goals outlined in his 200-page National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness is to safely reopen schools, which he acknowledges “will require major, unified federal investments in rapid testing, an expanded rapid response public health workforce, clear guidance and protections, and support for people to stay home when they are infected to stop the spread of COVID-19.” Biden’s Executive Order Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers lays out a national strategy that includes vaccinations for teachers and detailed technical guidance on reopening schools, including a handbook on topics such as implementing COVID-19 mitigation measures (for example, physical distancing and cohorting), improving ventilation, increasing staffing, responding to outbreaks, using surge testing and contact tracing to control outbreaks, implementing isolation and quarantine protocols; serving and

accommodating students and staff who are immunocompromised or have disabilities or special needs; and addressing other issues identified by state and local health departments and their education counterparts. The executive order also directs the creation of a Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse to ensure schools have

access to best practices from other schools and states that have successfully maintained safe operations during the pandemic. “The health and safety of children, students, educators, families, and communities is paramount,” the order states.

FAUCI SAYS REOPENING SCHOOLS SAFELY IS A TOP PRIORITY

First Lady Talks with Fellow Educators “I made a promise to you that when Joe was elected president, you’d always have a seat at the table,” First Lady Jill Biden told teachers. “And I meant it.” On the first full day of her

been so strong. And now it’s time for us to be strong for you.” Crediting her colleagues with helping her learn new strategies for hybrid teaching, she said, “That’s what I love about our profession—we always help one another.” The first lady assured teachers, “Joe is going to be a champion for you, because he knows that’s the best way to serve our students. Together we’re going to transform our nation’s education system, and when we do that, we’re going to change the course of the nation. Just remember, the first lady of the United States is one of your own.” Pringle expressed her faith in the new administration partnering with NEA “to reclaim public education as a common good, as a foundation of this democracy, and transform it into a racially and socially just system that prepares every student to succeed in a diverse world.” Weingarten echoed her confidence in the Biden administration, noting that she believes “help is on the way, and not just with words, but with actions.” “We’re going to give you the job support you need,” Dr. Biden affirmed. “More COVID testing at school and promoting access to vaccines for educators. Your safety and well-being are critical to the success of our students.” Emphasizing the most immediate education priorities, she said, “We have to do two things right now: make sure the health and safety of educators is protected—as well as that of the families they serve—and give students the educational support they need in the schools they love.” Watch the full virtual event at nea.org/resource-library/educator- event-first-lady-dr-jill-biden .

Nearly 7,000 teachers from around the country joined Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Biden, in a virtual fireside chat about COVID safety. Hosted by NEA and AFT, the program gave public school educators a chance to ask the nation’s foremost infectious disease expert about vaccines and other mitigation strategies as the United States enters the most critical stage of the pandemic. Assuring his listeners that the Biden administration takes “very seriously” the safety of teachers and students, Fauci—whose daughter teaches third grade science in New Orleans—acknowledged that the goal of reopening schools to in-person learning will require considerable resources, among them better ventilation, safer spacing, mass vaccinations, and doubling down on prevention modalities, including the use of masks. “The idea of saying, ‘Go do it on your own’ doesn’t work,” he said. Calling teachers “absolutely critical” to our society and our nation’s recovery, he stressed that getting education professionals vaccinated as quickly as possible gets us to the goal we all want. “Teachers want as much as anybody to get students back to school,” he said. “We have people who have emerged as heroes during this outbreak. Teachers and the teams who take care of our children’s well-being and education—you are heroes as much as anyone else.” When asked about the disproportionate impact of COVID on Black and brown communities and how the current administration plans to address the problem, Fauci pointed to President Biden’s strategic plan, which acknowledges the need to increase access to COVID testing, healthcare, and vaccines for Black and brown people. “The outbreak sheds a very bright light on the tremendous disparities in the incidence of infection, hospitalization, and death, the social determinants of health, and the multidecade effort it will take to equalize that,” Fauci said. He expressed optimism that under Dr. Marcella Nunez- Smith, who was tapped to head the president’s health equity task force, there will be an increased focus on enhancing healthcare delivery to underserved areas through community vaccine centers, mobile units, and more. Fauci also answered questions about vaccine safety, the potential for COVID transmissibility from people who have been vaccinated, and the effectiveness of current vaccines against new COVID variants. To hear the full discussion, visit nea.org/resource-library/fireside-chat-dr-fauci .

husband’s presidency, Dr. Biden held true to that promise by inviting NEA President Becky Pringle and AFT President Randi Weingarten to the White House to literally sit at a table with her and address the nation’s educators.

“I couldn’t wait one more day to have this meeting,” Biden, an NEA member, said. “I have never felt prouder of this profession. During the pandemic, educators have shown heroic efforts on behalf of their students.” The first lady, who continues to teach at Northern Virginia Community College while serving in her new role, has a firsthand perspective on the challenges of pandemic teaching and acknowledges that teachers are stretched thin. “Educators, you’ve done it all while taking care of your own families and facing your own challenges. Thank you. You have