John,

Parents and educators agree that the safety and health of our students and school community is paramount. It is in all our interests to have a safe and healthy reopening of our schools this fall.

The political polarization of COVID-19 and the changing circumstances with the delta variant have left parents and educators with questions about safety protocols. That’s why we’re partnering with Open Schools USA for a special virtual town hall on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

We’re bringing together experts to answer questions about school safety, and I want to give you a chance to ask a question. Click here to submit a question, and I may ask it during the town hall.

While our views about masks are different from the views of some of the parents we’re working with, it’s important to have experts answer questions about the use of masks in schools and the costs and benefits of their use. Open Schools USA and the AFT are joining together with experts to answer these questions. We want to hear from a range of informed voices about how to keep our students safe and in school this fall.

I pride myself on having an open dialogue with people, even when we don’t agree 100 percent. This is an example of how we can work with parents to really look at safety issues. I’m excited for it.

I hope you’ll join us on Thursday for this town hall.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President