CNN, Feb 8, 2022 – Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to CNN’s Erin Burnett about a maskless photo of her taken at a school event with a classroom of masked students and faculty.
NOW PLAYING: Stacey Abrams speaks out on maskless photo of her from school event
Teachers unions call for decisions about masks in schools to be guided in science
“We need to look for a statewide, science-based decision that reflects the needs of our school employees,” one union said.
NBC – As more states plan to lift mask mandates in schools, several teachers unions said they are not opposed to the idea of children being unmasked in classrooms but want to ensure those decisions are based on science.
The governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Oregon announced plans Monday to remove statewide mask mandates in schools by the end of February or the end of March as the surge of the omicron variant of the coronavirus is declining after record-breaking numbers of new cases around the country disrupted in-person learning and worsened staffing shortages.
Teachers unions on Tuesday called for the mandate rollbacks to be informed by science, not politics, as mask-wearing has become an increasingly polarized issue.
They also called for states to establish policies around when masks would or would not be required in schools should there be another surge in cases.
“No one wants masks in schools: not teachers, not students,” Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, or AFT, said Tuesday on MSNBC.
“But it’s time in this Covid pandemic to actually do a little bit of planning based upon science, as opposed to just announcement by announcement.”
She added, “We have to be talking about the offramp for masks, and we asked for that conversation — that’s based upon science, instead of politics — back in November before omicron” … read more.
