NEW ORLEANS — United Teachers of New Orleans sent an open letter to NOLA public schools Superintendent, Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr., over concerns of returning to in-person learning after the recent rise in COVID cases.
The group called for some changes to be made in the school system in order to keep teachers and students safe from the virus.
NOLA Public Schools announced in-person learning must resume Monday, January 4 and that several options would be made available to prevent the spread of COVID before considering the return to distance learning.
The letter states : "As of December 17th, half of the schools in New Orleans had positive COVID-19 cases—a total of 66 cases, with 769 students and staff quarantining. Absences among teachers and students are on the rise, which is harming adequate staffing in schools and continuity in teaching and learning," said United Teachers of New Orleans President Wanda Richard.
In December the CDC released indicators and thresholds for risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in schools.
"As a union of educators we deeply understand the power of in-person learning. We have seen immeasurable learning loss from students over the course of this pandemic. We long to be with our students in our classrooms."
Orleans Parish recently reached the highest 7 day average test percent positivity as of December 31 by exceeding 11 percent. Broken down that is 2,092 new COVID-19 cases for the last 14 days and 537 cases per 100,000, 2.69 times the CDC threshold for the highest risk of transmission in schools of 200 or greater per 100,000. According to the City of New Orleans’ COVID-19 Dashboard.
President Richard listed measures the school board should take to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 in schools:
- Set clear thresholds for action to reduce risk of transmission.
- Give schools the option to start school virtually.
- Give school staff members the option to work from home if they so choose.
Richard also listed requirements if the school remains in in-person learning:
- Require 6 feet of distance be maintained in schools.
- Rearrange school schedules so students are not eating together.
- Require those who were in higher risk situations to stay home after the holidays.
- Return to a 14 day quarantine period requirement.
- Require schools to provide paid leave to staff for quarantines and isolation periods due to COVID-19 without use of regular sick or PTO days.
- Provide information about COVID-19 cases contracted inside of school buildings.
" We can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the distribution of the vaccine, but we cannot act with reckless abandon in the face of a rapidly spreading virus," President Wanda Richard.
