Feb-Mar 2021 Advisor

VACCINATING

FEBRUARY–MARCH 2021 CEA ADVISOR 9

WIN FOR EACHERS

STUDENTS

Representative Ron Napoli, a world history teacher at Wilby

CEA, COALITION’S SCHOOL DISTRICT VACCINE PLAN, INCLUDING SCHOOL- BASED CLINICS, GETS UNDERWAY

Kristen Record joined fellow Teachers of the Year in a CEA campaign calling for vaccine prioritization for all school employees.

High School, noted, “This pandemic has been very, very challenging for teachers. Teachers love what they do. I see how hard my colleagues work every day. They go into their buildings and they want to make a difference, and Governor, you gave them the opportunity to do that, and we thank you very much.” Waterbury teachers and school staff will be vaccinated at one of the city’s mass vaccine locations. A section at Waterbury Arts Magnet School will be designated just for teachers, and a special hotline has been set up for educators and other school employees to set up their appointments. In East Haddam, clinics will take place on Saturdays. Clinics in other districts are offering weekday afternoon or evening hours. “When overseen by school districts, the timing of the vaccinations can be arranged to complement and not disrupt school schedules,” said CEA Executive Director Don Williams, adding, “Our goal is for all K-12 school employees to be vaccinated, from start to finish, in the month of March.” Implementing a parallel school- based vaccination clinic for staff in school districts aligns with the CDC’s recommendation to minimize barriers to access and support the administration of vaccines at or near workplaces as an optimal strategy. The benefits of school-based vaccine clinics for teachers and other school employees include convenience, predictable and adequate supplies, and elimination of the need to schedule through VAMS or other systems. Also available to educators are their pharmacies, local health districts, and hospitals.

In their outreach to Governor Lamont, CEA and the Board of Education Union Coalition proposed a School District Vaccine Plan that would be ready to roll out at the start of the new vaccine phase. Integral to that plan are school-based vaccination clinics, where school districts work with local healthcare and public health institutions to provide on-site or local administration of the vaccine, similar to the way they administer flu shots each year. Several districts have already set up clinics with dates for teachers to get their first and second doses. Clinics have been established for educators in Darien, East Haddam, Milford, Newington, Stratford, Trumbull, Waterbury, and Windsor, among other cities and towns, and the list is growing. “This is a huge win for both teachers and students

Parents Join the Cause Connecticut parents, frustrated that their children’s teachers had still not received vaccines while other states were moving forward, decided to make their voices heard. Many, including Clinton parent Lise Despres, took to social media and shared CEA’s Action Alert, encouraging her network of friends to write to DPH Commissioner Deidre Gifford and ask for prioritization of teachers for the COVID vaccine. “As parents, we can be a force to help,” Despres said. “The vaccine is the only hope we have of getting back to a somewhat normal life, and with that, I think about the kids of all ages who have been riding the wave of uncertainty. They have given up a lot and are feeling the weight of these uncertain times as we hit the one-year mark of lockdown. Getting them back into a school setting is crucial to their education as well as their overall mental well-being. The best way to get kids back to school is to get their teachers vaccinated. Teachers are frontline workers. We need this for our kids. We need this to have some hope.” Kelley Edwards, a prevention coordinator for the town of Clinton and the parent of two high school students, says her sister teaches pre-K students with special needs who have difficulty wearing masks. “We can help teachers like my sister by vaccinating them. The call to open schools is not backed by any kind of protection.” Edwards, along with dozens of other concerned parents, responded to CEA’s Action Alert, reached out to local legislators and the governor’s office, and let them know that they stand with teachers. The Connecticut PTA also joined with CEA and other education stakeholders in calling for commonsense solutions, such as school-based clinics. Connecticut PTA Legislative Committee member Sarah O’Dell, who lives in Redding, said, “As the parent of two, including a kindergartener, our family is having the incredibly common experience of navigating the challenges of COVID-19 in our school, including distance learning. We hear this and other concerns from so many Connecticut Parent Teacher Association families. Due to school staff having to quarantine, the inconsistency has been problematic. The Connecticut PTA understands that our education system is doing the best they can in these unprecedented

Clinton parent Lise Despres took to social media to rally for vaccine prioritization for teachers.

alike,” said Waterbury Teachers Association President Kevin Egan. “Vaccines have been a

number-one priority for us, because, although this pandemic has forced us to all

learn new ways of teaching and learning, there is no replacement for

in-school, in-

person, live instruction. This proposal from the governor will now produce less sickness, less quarantine, less stress, and ultimately more teachers in front of our students. If I could speak to every single Waterbury parent, I would tell them that together, all of our 1,600 WTA teachers will now be armed and ready to be back in full force in the classrooms to do what they do best, and that is to educate your child.” Thanking the governor for

times. We appreciate our state leaders supporting that by prioritizing vaccines for school personnel.”

helping make this rollout possible, Waterbury State

Rochelle Brown, Windsor teacher