The increasingly intense debate over the reopening of the school forces President Joe Biden to balance two priorities: getting children back into the classroom and preserving the support of powerful work groups that helped him get elected.
After weeks of stagnation in some cities and states where teachers’ unions are calling for vaccines as a condition for reopening, the issue came to light on Wednesday when Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said teacher vaccination “is not a prerequisite for the safe reopening of schools.”
But in a juggling of positions, the White House refused to support Walensky, saying he was speaking “in a personal capacity.” Asked on Friday about his previous comments, Walensky bet.
So far, it does not appear that the problem is causing a wedge between Biden and the unions. Even those calling for vaccines say no shots would be needed if schools took other measures to protect the buildings.
Walensky on Wednesday cited data from the CDC showing that social distancing and wearing a mask significantly reduce the spread of the virus in school. Just a week earlier, the agency issued a study in the same way that, with the use of masks and other precautions, it is generally safe to conduct face-to-face studies.
For many Republicans and some leftists, Walensky’s comment was seen as support for the reopening of schools immediately. Some believed it discredited teacher unions that have demanded vaccines before returning to face-to-face instruction.
However, the unions found her largely on her shoulders. With the right combination of safety measures in place, teachers ’unions generally agree that vaccines are not a condition for reopening. The problem is that many schools lag far behind in ventilation upgrades and other important measures recommended by health officials, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
“Vaccines go from a priority to an essential if you can’t do some of these basic mitigation strategies,” Weingarten said. “Instead of keeping these schools closed for months, why not vaccinate teachers faster?”
Even among state and local unions that have taken a tougher line on vaccinations, Walensky’s comment caused little fire. The California Teachers Association is pushing for all teachers to be vaccinated, but this is largely because many schools are “not close” to protecting buildings using other methods, said Claudia Briggs, a union spokeswoman.
Briggs applauded the response from the Biden administration, saying the president has made it clear that the safety of teachers is of “utmost importance”. He cited his $ 130 billion proposal in additional relief for the pandemic to help reopen schools.
In Chicago, vaccinations have been a major point of adhesion between the city and the teachers ’union as they work to negotiate a return to the classroom. At a press conference Friday at the Chicago Teachers Union, special education teacher Dawn Kelly said teachers want to come back but feel they are not protected.
“We want to go back to school. I miss my babies, I want to hug my students, I want to sit on the carpet and do readings, but right now it’s not safe, ”he said.
Despite the CDC’s seemingly definitive statement, the White House has declined to take a firm stand on teacher vaccines. Asked about it on Thursday, Biden press secretary Jen Psaki said Walensky was speaking “in a personal capacity” and that the White House would expect updated school guidance that Biden has requested from the CDC.
“Obviously, she’s the head of the CDC, but we’ll wait for the final guide to come out so we can use it as a guide for schools across the country,” Psaki said.
Biden has pledged to reopen most of the country’s K-8 schools during his first 100 days in office, a goal he says is possible if Congress approves its pandemic rescue plan and whether states prioritize teachers in vaccine deployment. In many states, teachers are included at the beginning of a second wave of shootings.
But the plan has caught the attention of critics who say Biden summons teachers ’unions who see him as an ally.
The nation’s two major teacher unions supported Biden as president, including the National Education Association, which includes 3 million members: First Lady Jill Biden, who is a longtime university professor. community.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Said efforts to get students back in the classroom have been blocked by “rich, powerful unions that give huge amounts to Democrats and gain control. on education in many communities. “
“An administration that puts facts and science first would conduct a full-fledged press to open schools,” he said Wednesday in the Senate floor.
Some on the left have issued similar reproaches, including former New York Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, who told MSNBC that Biden must “stand up” to teachers’ unions and force them to return to the ranks. classroom.
In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom cited Walensky’s comment as proof that it’s safe to reopen schools before all teachers get vaccinated. He has been pushing schools to reopen for weeks, but so far it appears the CDC finding has done little to convince teachers to return.
Vaccine shortages and slow deployment have jeopardized Biden’s reopening plan as more schools delay face-to-face instruction. Leaders in some districts have expressed doubt that they will return all students to receive face-to-face instruction until next year.
The Biden administration says it hopes to speed up openings by increasing funding and helping schools implement virus testing. Miguel Cardona, Biden’s education secretary, has said he is ready to help reopen schools safely, even if teachers have not all been vaccinated.
Weingarten, of the AFT, said the pandemic relief proposed by Biden would go a long way in opening schools. But even if Congress approves it, he said, it could be months before schools receive it and make the necessary repairs. Instead of scapegoats, however, he said the blame should lie with the Trump administration for not delivering the vaccines before and in districts that have not been able to upgrade the buildings for years.
“There’s not a lot of trust in the districts because we’ve had years and years of austerity budgets and we know the facilities are not what they should be,” he said. “There should be no pandemic to solve the ventilation systems.”
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Don Babwin, an Associated Press writer, contributed to this report.