November 19, 2020
Springfield, VA
For immediate Release
The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) applauded Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand’s decision to postpone reopening FCPS in person learning for Early Head Start, Pre-K and Kindergarten due to the spike in Covid-19.
Being a teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools is one of the most dangerous professions in the world today. Right now, COVID-19 survival rates is only 98 to 99%, and even higher for kids under 18 years of age! The upcoming vaccine success rates is only between 90 and 94%. effective. These numbers are still not good enough to protect FCFT. Our lives are hanging in the balance.
Will all this time of uncertainly we are calling for a 5 year moratorium on in person learning for all classes. FCFT urges Dr. Braband and the Fairfax County School Board to suspend in person learning until the start of the 2025-2026 school year. We want to wait for five years to make sure COVID-19 is under control. Critics may say we are over reacting, but being a Fairfax County teacher should not be a matter of life and death. Again we are talking about the lives of your children. Your kids should go to school with a backpack, not a bodybag.
Critics and parents may say that the private schools in the county are open with no outbreak. Although it is true, they don’t have the student body size of FCPS. There is a much bigger potential of a COVID outbreak in public schools. Parents have the choice to send their kids to private schools. Our teacher”s and children’s lives are too valuable to risk.
The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers want to thank all of our members for your courage and dedication during this most difficult time. Your are the front line in educating our future.
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