Across the country, teachers and school workers are scared, angry and ready to fight for the safety of their students and communities. On August 3rd, educators in over 20 cities across the country stood up to demand safe, healthy and equitable schools for all students. The COVID-19 pandemic has made visible the crisis that has rocked K-12 public education for many years. Our kids deserve better.
Here’s what educators demand:
- No reopening until the scientific data supports it
- Police-free schools
- All schools must be supported to function as community schools with adequate numbers of counselors and nurses and community/parent outreach workers
- Safe conditions including lower class sizes, PPE, cleaning, testing, and other key protocols Equitable access to online learning
- Support for our communities and families, including canceling rents and mortgages, a moratorium on evictions/foreclosures, providing direct cash assistance to those not able to work or who are unemployed, and other critical social needs
- Moratorium on new charter or voucher programs and standardized testing
- Massive infusion of federal money to support the reopening funded by taxing billionaires and Wall Street
- Equitable access to online learning
August 3rd is just the beginning. Educators will not back down. The stakes are too high. As our families and communities fight back against the triple pandemics: COVID-19, an economic meltdown, and structural racism, educators will continue to work for a transformative, equitable education system. Find out more at demandsafeschools.org.