BOSTON (WHDH) - Teachers are slamming the state’s call for educators to teach remotely from their classrooms as insulting and dangerous, saying they should not have to return to buildings with poor ventilation to teach online.
State guidelines issued last week say teachers should go into their old classrooms to teach remotely, rather than doing so from home as they did during the end of the 2020 school year. But teachers and union officials say many school buildings have poor ventilation and are not safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s frustrating because we know there are people that will be at risk,” said American Federation of Teachers president Beth Kontos, who also criticized state officials saying guidelines were in place in part so administrators could monitor instruction more easily.
“It’s a scary time, to say ‘We’re going to put adults in that building just so you can watch us’ is really insulting to the professionalism of educators,” Kontos said.
In a statement, Executive Office of Education spokeswoman Colleen Quinn said “Instruction from the classroom is the most effective educational environment. Schools can ensure that students receive a structured, engaging, and consistent learning experience while offering teachers access to reliable resources and stability.”
Yvrose Bourdeau, a first-grade teacher in Boston, said buildings in Hyde Park didn’t have proper ventilation for her to teach from them.
“I’d love for someone to go visit before they consider opening those schools,” Bourdeau said.
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