Teachers to urge gov. to make classrooms safer or shut down schools

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    WILLIMANTIC, CT (WFSB) — Teachers from across the state planned a protest in Willimantic on Wednesday afternoon.

They are calling on Gov. Ned Lamont to either make Connecticut classrooms safer or shut them down.

Many of the state’s largest teachers’ unions had argued even before Thanksgiving that the state should shift to only remote classes. Now they argue Connecticut schools are getting more dangerous by the day as a result of rising COVID-19 cases.

Now the educators are raising the alarm together.

Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. at Jillson Square Park in Willimantic, members of several of the state’s largest teachers’ unions will call for all Connecticut classes to shift to full remote from now until Jan. 18 unless state leaders can follow a long list of recommended safety procedures

Those include:

Teacher input on contact tracing procedures.
Statewide safety protocols.
Stricter social distancing enforcement.
Full classroom quarantines after a positive test.
A statewide standard for quarantine length.
Tuesday night at a virtual Department of Education town hall, some parents begged state leaders not to shut down in-person learning. They argued that Connecticut families are already struggling to keep their kids engaged this semester.

“It seems like this year we’re being abandoned,” said Debbie Brown, a parent from Shelton. “What do I do next? What can I do?”

Education commissioner Miguel Cardona said district parents should remember that even if their children are attending virtual classes, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher because they aren’t alone. He acknowledged that this is a difficult situation for everyone.

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