San Jose teachers will not return to the classroom until conditions are safe

The San Jose Unified School District on Friday announced their teachers will not return to the classroom for the start to the upcoming school year.

Citing the recent spikes in coronavirus cases in the state, the San Jose Teachers Association and California Teachers Association informed San Jose Unified that it would be unsafe for their teachers to provide in-person instruction in the classroom at least to start the school year.

“Teachers do not feel that it is safe to return to teaching in person, and, in large majority, they are unwilling to do so at this time,” SJTA President Patrick Bernhardt wrote to San Jose Unified School District Superintendent of Schools Nancy Albarra in a letter dated Friday and shared on Facebook.

Bernhardt suggested that the district make plans over the next five weeks to ensure a “robust and rigorous distance learning experience for all the students.” He added that the situation should be revisited “at least monthly and bringing students back to campus as soon as it can be done safely.”

District officials sent out an email on Friday night to notify parents of the teachers’ decision not to return to the classroom at this time. The message also included a link to a survey to help officials plot their course for the start of the school year, which now is only weeks away.

District officials, in the email, wrote, “We remain committed to providing high-quality, equitable learning for our students for the 2020-2021 school year, but we cannot do that without teachers. In response to this latest information, San José Unified is reassessing the details of returning students to their classrooms in the fall and we need to collect more information from our community to take the next step.”

The district and the teachers association both noted that the COVID-19 numbers in the state are trending in the wrong direction. The CTA on its web site earlier in the week suggested schools can not open unless they are safe.

“From the moment we pivoted to digital learning last Spring, the health and safety of our students has been our top priority and continues to be. We cannot reopen schools until it is safe. With the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections, we must take the most preventative action in the face of uncertainty to protect students, educators, and our communities,” said CTA president E. Toby Boyd. “We are eager to be back with our students, but the reality of science, facts and safety cannot be ignored.”

Throughout the week, the San Jose Teachers Association and San Jose Unified met to determine that current condition were not safe for teachers to return to the classroom. Instead, the San Jose Teachers Association is urging San Jose Unified to prepare for advanced distance learning programs for all students.

They are also urging the state to set up a uniform symptoms checklist and safety protocols that include quick case notification and contact tracing, warning of outbreaks, isolation support and medical care for students and families.