(Washington, DC, Friday, September 11, 2020) – We’re in the midst of a public health crisis the likes of which we’ve never experienced in our lifetimes. In the last two weeks of July, 97,000 kids tested positive for the coronavirus, and as of mid-August, the United States had more than five million confirmed cases amid a continuing surge. The American Federation of Teachers supports educators who are fighting to safely reopen schools.

Educators, parents and children are angry and scared about schools being forced to reopen without adequate resources for safety protocols. They have seen what happened in a Georgia district, where more than 1,000 students and educators were quarantined days after reopening. Or in places like Florida, where the governor demanded schools reopen despite the state having one of the biggest COVID-19 surges—and where our state affiliate sued to protect the health and safety of students and educators.

Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers will discuss the current administration’s poor response regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and what steps need to be taken in order to safely reopen schools.

The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for students, their families and communities.  The AFT represents 1.7 million members, including pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; and nurses and other healthcare professionals.