Connecticut Education Association Recommends School Opening Delayed, HVAC Systems Upgraded, Remote Learning Expanded

The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) announced yesterday that they have updated their "Safe Learning Plan" for reopening schools across the state to "protect Connecticut’s students, teachers, staff and their families in the 2020-2021 school year". 

Among their recommendations are delaying the start of the school year for two weeks or until mid-September, expanding remote learning, and upgrading HVAC systems.

In addition, they recommend implementing a comprehensive, school-centered contact tracing program "to help mitigate any exposures to the virus, and for any in-class learning, providing COVID-19 testing for all students and adults as soon as practicable, with results in 24 hours or less". Read the complete list of recommendations here. 

CEA President Jeff Leake said, "The primary consideration to any school reopening plan must be the safety, health, and wellbeing of students, teachers, and their families. The state must revise school reopening plans to protect our school communities, especially in light of new reports confirming that children can readily transmit COVID-19 and may be drivers of the pandemic. Remote learning is still the safest option. Any return to the classroom requires additional precautions, including strict social distancing and access to COVID-19 testing, that are not currently included in the state plan.”

Read CEA’s Full Report Safe Learning Plan