Group of school nurses, others push for remote start
“The stakes in this process could not be higher and the outcome of our decisions truly have life and death consequences.”
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A newly established, statewide group concerned about reopening schools for in-person education has cited 16 different things members say need to happen to keep everyone safe.
Called the Coalition to Safely Reopen Schools, the group is advocating for “a phased approach to reopening” until all of their concerns are addressed.
The coalition is made up of not just school nurses and teachers, but also bus drivers, cafeteria workers, support staff, janitorial staff, occupational health and community advocates, and parents, according to a Monday release.
“This process represents one of the most consequential decisions our communities and our state will make as our state and nation [continue] to grapple with a pandemic that is still surging across the nation, showing signs of a second wave in our state, with the threat of the flu season looming,” Patty Comeau, an RN, a member of the coalition and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and a school nurse in Methuen, said in the release. “In confronting this challenge a safe, scientifically guided, well planned, adequately funded and appropriately resourced process must be the priority for all involved, as the stakes couldn’t be higher and the outcome of our decisions truly have life and death consequences.”
In crafting its stance on reopening, the coalition looked at positions taken by the American Federation of Teachers and the Massachusetts Teachers Association. The group also considered research and reports from the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. Multiple school nurses also provided their positions.
The 16 areas cited by the coalition include the availability of personal protective equipment, proper social distancing, contact tracing guidelines, “appropriate” school nurse staffing, rapid testing access, cleaning initiatives, “resources and infrastructure” for wearing masks and washing hands, protocols for entering schools safely, “disparities in access to in-person learning,” training and education for staff, “preserving school staff pay and benefits,” proper air circulation and ventilation, considering resources in a community for different school settings, considering health and safety for special needs students, isolation space for those who test COVID-19 positive or are thought to be positive, and safe transportation for students.
“In light of all the issues we have presented, the current lack of funding appropriated to address these issues, and the increased need for staff, PPE, testing and other resources to implement a safe reopening, at this time, we don’t believe our State is ready to pursue in-person learning safely,” the coalition said in a collective statement. “And until these issues are resolved, it is also not safe to have staff stationed in these schools to conduct remote learning for students.”
The coalition believes students should receive remote learning until the state devises “comprehensive plans” to address the concerns.
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