(WXYZ) – Detroit students and teachers will be returning to the classroom for summer school on Monday, but a group of educators disagree with the move.
These educators are calling for virtual training by fall as they are concerned about low COVID-19 vaccination rates in Detroit.
Last year a protest was held outside Mackenzie Elementary School in Detroit when members of the By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) group demonstrated against the district’s decision to offer personal learning. You speak again.
“There will be a COVID explosion if we push people in further and say it’s okay,” LC Bulger, a special education teacher at Detroit schools.
The district says that attending the summer school is voluntary for teachers. The BAMN considers the return to be too early and wants the vaccine to be prescribed.
“We are not sure just because part of the population is vaccinated, it has to be everyone and the reopening has to be postponed until then,” added DPSCD teacher Benjamin Royal.
Currently, 38.1% of Detroiters 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
On Friday, the CDC stated that students and teachers in schools are no longer required to wear masks unless they are not vaccinated. In this case, the CDC says they should also maintain 3 feet of social distance.
“I don’t want virtual infrastructure for the rest of our lives, I don’t want that,” said Arlyssa Heard, a parent.
The teachers’ union says they are still negotiating terms for the fall and making sure security measures are in place. But they also want the students back into the building.
“Again, many of our members are ready to go back to work, so they have taken these precautionary measures themselves, including vaccination,” said Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins union vice president.
The Detroit Federation of Teachers says they are also working with the district on a contract for an online school.
Comments are closed.