Dear John,
Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California will require all educators and classified professionals in K-12 schools to either be vaccinated or undergo COVID testing once a week. This policy will take effect October 15, 2021.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, CFT’s top priority has been to fight for policies that prioritize the health and safety of our students, our members, and our school communities. That single-minded focus has never wavered, nor is it changing now.
The Governor’s announcement reflects what many of our local unions around the state are already working towards at the bargaining table and in conversations with their districts. A number of districts have already announced that they will be implementing this “vax-or-test” policy for this school year. For example San Francisco Unified announced such a policy on Tuesday, a move that was met with approval from UESF, who praised the measure as a way to provide “the safest conditions possible” for the new school year.
CFT has long advocated for vaccines in coordination with testing and other mitigation measures, such as masking, hand washing, and good ventilation, and our Executive Council passed a resolution in January of this year calling for access to vaccines. Furthermore, in a member poll conducted earlier this year, 89% of CFT members said that ensuring that a vaccine was widely available was a critical factor in creating a safe environment for a return to in-person instruction. Additionally 89% of members said that having access to regular testing would help them feel more confident about safety at school sites. These numbers show that CFT members are strongly in favor of both vaccine access and adequate testing protocols.
After 18 months of distance and hybrid learning, we are cautiously optimistic about the start of a new school year and a return to full in-person instruction. With the stories of rising COVID-19 case numbers once again dominating the headlines due to the delta variant, it is the responsibility of our union to do what we can to safeguard our members’ and our students’ health and safety in every possible way as they return to school sites, especially until the vaccine is made available for children under 12 years of age.
Part of the successful implementation of this “vax-or-test” policy at the local level requires educators and classified professionals to have a voice in addressing the impact on workers through the bargaining process and through ongoing labor-management communications.
The “vax-or-test” policy that Governor Newsom announced today makes another great stride towards providing necessary layers of protection for our school communities and makes our school sites more safe as the school year gets underway.
