The San Jose Unified School District announced Friday its teachers will not return to the classroom for the start of the upcoming school year because the coronavirus pandemic has made it too dangerous.
Citing the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the state, the San Jose Teachers Association and California Teachers Association informed San Jose Unified it would be unsafe for teachers to return to the classroom, at least for the start of the school year.
“Teachers do not feel that it is safe to return to teaching in person, and, in large majority, they are unwilling to do so at this time,” San Jose Teachers Association president Patrick Bernhardt wrote to district Superintendent Nancy Albarrán in a letter dated Friday and shared on Facebook.
Bernhardt suggested the district make plans over the next five weeks to ensure a “robust and rigorous distance learning experience for all the students.” He added that the situation should be revisited “at least monthly and bringing students back to campus as soon as it can be done safely.”
District officials sent out an email Friday night notifying parents of the teachers’ decision not to return to the classroom at this time. The message included a link to a survey asking parents to help district officials plot their course for the start of the school year, which now is only weeks away.
In the email, district officials wrote, “We remain committed to providing high-quality, equitable learning for our students for the 2020-2021 school year, but we cannot do that without teachers. In response to this latest information. San José Unified is reassessing the details of returning students to their classrooms in the fall and we need to collect more information from our community to take the next step.”
The district and the teachers association both noted that the COVID-19 numbers in the state are trending in the wrong direction. The CTA on its website earlier in the week suggested schools cannot reopen unless they are safe.
“From the moment we pivoted to digital learning last Spring, the health and safety of our students has been our top priority and continues to be. We cannot reopen schools until it is safe. With the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections, we must take the most preventative action in the face of uncertainty to protect students, educators and our communities,” said CTA president E. Toby Boyd. “We are eager to be back with our students, but the reality of science, facts and safety cannot be ignored.”
Throughout the week, the San Jose Teachers Association and San Jose Unified met to discuss current conditions.
The CTA is urging the state to set up a uniform symptoms checklist and safety protocols that include quick case notification and contact tracing, warning of outbreaks, isolation support and medical care for students and families.
