While some districts are canceling in-person classes, others are considering lifting mask mandates
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If you thought yesterday was a calm first day back at work, you probably don’t have kids. Public schools in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Newark, and some districts in Michigan have all delayed their starts or switched to remote learning until at least January 10 because of skyrocketing Covid cases among students and staff.
And for schools that stayed open, safety precautions across districts are about as standard as women’s jeans sizing.
- Staff at LA County public and private schools will be required to wear medical grade masks indoors and in crowded spaces outdoors.
- On the other hand, Johnson County—the most populous county in Kansas—is considering ending its mask mandate for elementary schools as early as this Thursday.
Big picture: Local leaders who’ve vowed to keep schools open are being met with increased resistance from teachers groups.
In New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams has insisted that schools are the safest place for students, representatives of the teachers’ union aren’t so sure that simply sending 1.5 million rapid tests to schools is enough. And in Chicago, teachers have threatened to stop working in-person on Wednesday after a botched at-home testing plan led to a backlog of unprocessed student tests.—MM
