Connecticut Education Association releases proposal to safely get students back into classrooms
CEA representatives say following strict social distancing guidelines has helped Connecticut keep the pandemic under control so far and they don't see why that should stop at schools.
News 12 Staff
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Jul 21, 2020, 6:46 PM
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Updated 1,368 days ago
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25ds agoThe largest teachers union in the state released its proposal Tuesday to safely get students back into classrooms in the fall.
The Connecticut Education Association’s Safe Learning Plan calls for regular testing, social distancing, face masks and smaller class sizes.
The union says schools can spread students out with staggered schedules or hybrid in-person and distance learning plans. It is also calling for more state funding to allow for its proposed precautions.
CEA President Jeff Leake says the union took issue with the state's own plan to reopen schools, specifically its emphasis on across-the-board in-classroom learning.
"A hundred percent of the students back in class 100 percent of the time just doesn't work for us in the middle of this pandemic," says Leake.
Teachers say they feel the pains of distance learning as much as anyone.
Katy Gale, a fifth grade teacher in Darien, says expecting everything to be back to normal in September is a mistake.
"Nobody understands better than teachers that being with your students live…is the best way to go," she says. "It's not gonna be the same, and I don't think children are gonna thrive in that environment."
The CEA's entire Safe Learning Plan can be found on its website.
