Gov. Roy Cooper
Citing recent studies that show schools can reopen for in-person instruction if they follow safety protocols, Gov. Roy Cooper and state education leaders on Tuesday said it’s time for students to return to schools for in-person instruction.
“Research done right here in North Carolina tells us that in-person learning is working and that students can be in classrooms safely with the right safety protocols in place,” Cooper said.
The governor is referring to the much-discussed ABC Science Collaborative study that looked at 11 North Carolina school districts during the first two months of school and found no cases of student-to-adult transmissions. Researchers from Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill make up the Science Collaborative.
Tamika Walker Kelly
North Carolina must vaccinate teachers before asking them to return to classrooms for in-person instruction, the N.C. Association of Educators said Monday.
“Educators are the epitome of essential, front line workers, and getting them vaccinated is the most critical step to restarting in-person instruction statewide,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the teacher advocacy organization. “Twenty-three other states are vaccinating educators right now, and we should be among them.”
The call to prioritize teacher vaccinations came during a NCAE press conference held by the organization to share its 2021 legislative agenda.
Walker said school districts must also adhere to safety protocols such as social distancing and requiring masks as outlined by the ABC Science Collaborative and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Submitted by BlueNC on
Thu, 01/28/2021 - 09:01
REPUBLICANS OPPOSE CHANGES TO SOCIAL STUDIES THAT EXPLORE SYSTEMIC RACISM: “The system of government that we have in this nation is not systematically racist,” Robinson said. “In fact, it is not racist at all.” State board member Amy White said North Carolina social studies teachers should be telling students that America is the greatest nation on Earth. She blamed the news media for promoting an anti-American viewpoint. “While I think some of the revisions have been helpful, I still see an agenda that is anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-democracy,” said White, who was appointed by former GOP Gov. Pat McCrory. She is a former social studies teacher. Wednesday’s debate marks the latest chapter in the struggle over how best to teach the state’s 1.5 million public school students about social studies.
On Twitter, an anonymous person operating under the username
ChitterChatterWake has begun to attack teachers, the N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE) and others who are resisting efforts to reopen schools to in-person instruction before the coronavirus is under control.
Tamika Walker Kelly
A tweet posted Thursday directs educators to a study that shows that exercise is a defense against the coronavirus.
“Tell your teacher friends how they can lessen their risk and not continue to fail all students in NC.,” the tweet said.
The tweet caught the attention of NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly who retweeted the post with this message: