Why Mask Wearing in Our Public Schools is a MUST Right Now
July 21, 2021
July 21, 2021
VEA President James J. Fedderman issued the following statement about COVID safety today:
On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that as we return to school buildings, all children over 2 years of age and all adults should wear masks to further prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has now killed more than 600,000 Americans.
The Virginia Education Association strongly endorses this recommendation as one of the mitigating strategies we need to take to stop the spread of this virus.
Only a multi-layered approach is going to protect the health and safety of our students, their families and communities, and the educators who are serving the children. We have seen new variants of COVID emerge that are more easily transmitted from one person to another. New cases of COVID are affecting more younger Americans.
Let me be quite clear: we need fewer Americans in hospital beds and more students at their desks with their dedicated teachers and support staff.
And everyone has a role in making that happen. Everyone eligible for a vaccine should be getting it. All adults and children above the age of two should wear masks in school buildings and during school activities. School divisions must provide adequate space and ventilation for everyone to study and to do their jobs safely.
We are making progress against this virus—but we cannot let it gain a new foothold in our communities and in our schools. Wearing masks is a small price to pay for keeping everyone healthy and learning.
Teacher shortages are a serious issue across the country. Here in Virginia, there are currently over 3,648 unfilled teaching positions. (FY23)
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