Unions urge schools to close through end of year

Local district school chairman disagrees with plan

Leaders of the two unions that support the “vast majority” of teachers and their support staff are calling for public schools across Rhode Island to close for the holidays to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Larry Purtill, who serves as president of the National Education Association Rhode Island, said contract tracers are “overwhelmed” and “falling behind” with their work that ensures “effective quarantining.”

“Districts already burdened and stretched thin are not equipped, nor do they have the capacity, to take on this duty,” he said.

The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals also endorsed the plan to close schools by Nov. 23. The unions want to replace inperson instruction with distance learning through Christmas break. Fred Flynn, president of the federation, said the parameters set for reopening schools in September have “exceeded nearly every data threshold.”

“We have a renewed sense of urgency to move to distance learning,” he said.

The union presidents said the uptick in viral caseloads, along with “a lag in contact tracing, staffing shortages due to quarantines and the arrival of colder weather,” will negatively impact the health, safety and instruction in classrooms.

The announcement Monday comes four days after the local school board approved a revised attendance policy that underscored in-person learning.

“We expect children to be in school when they are healthy,” the policy reads.

The unions said the break would be an opportunity for contract tracers “to catch up and stay current on contact tracing,” and would provide time for “the deep cleaning necessary to protect students, families and educators upon their return.” It also would allow schools to install thousands of air-filtration devices that were ordered at the beginning of the school year, “a welcome investment at a time when windows will need to close to the winter cold.”

According to Purtill, a statewide shutdown during this second wave of the coronavirus is preferred to erratic closures.

“The social and emotional well-being of our students is paramount as always, but intermittent school closures put students and families on unsteady ground, disrupt class instruction, and add an undue burden to educators, support professionals and administrators who are already at the breaking point,” he said.

Lisa Tuttle, co-president of the Jamestown Educational Support Personnel Association, said her organization believes the statement from the unions “speaks for itself.”

Keith Roberts, chairman of the local school committee, disagrees with the plan.

“I understand and respect that the unions are advocating for the safety and welfare of their members,” he said. “The frustration for me is that the recommendation is statewide, not by district. Assuming a school district has demonstrated compliance with requirements and guidelines, I have been hopeful that each district would be able to make the best decision for their respective constituents based on their specific circumstances. If there are districts that have too much contact tracing due to positive cases, then those districts may need to pause in-person learning. If there are districts that don’t feel safe with offering in-person learning for any reason, they should be allowed to pause.”

According to the state Department of Health, there have been no teachers, students or administrators who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Jamestown schools, which means the district has not imposed a burden on contact tracers, Roberts said. Since reopening Sept. 14, the district has had only one case, a contracted worker in September.

Roberts said the district follows guidelines for indoor classrooms, supports outdoor classes when weather permits, meets the standards for cleaning and has the required personal protective equipment and air filters.

“I’m not aware of anything that we need that we don’t have,” he said. “We should be proud of our administration and teachers for creating a safe environment for our students, and proud of our parents, students and community for being disciplined about following the guidelines.

“We should be confident in our ability to manage the risks, and change course if needed. I hope the policymakers at the state level will set the appropriate guidelines to limit the spread, make the necessary resources available for contact tracing and testing, and allow school districts to continue in-person learning if they can remain in compliance with those guidelines.”

Because casual gatherings among family and friends have been the primary reason for the uptick in coronavirus cases during the second wave, Roberts questioned whether closing schools during the holidays would “create the perfect storm for increasing the spread.”

“I hope the governor will continue to allow those that are having success to remain operating as is,” he said.