WASHINGTON — NEA President Becky Pringle released the following statement applauding the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education announcement that the Biden Administration will be investing $10 billion to expand COVID-19 testing programs in schools:
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, educators have gone above and beyond to help all their students — Black and white, Native and newcomer, Hispanic and Asian — continue learning, while advocating for returning safely to in-person learning. Central to ensuring school buildings are safe for students and educators has been standing up robust COVID testing and contact tracing programs in schools to minimize any outbreaks. If outbreaks do occur, schools must have isolation procedures in place, along with paid leave policies, so that quarantine and isolation from the workplace do not cause economic hardship. Today’s announcement is another critical step in making schools the safest place in their community and we appreciate President Joe Biden’s leadership in prioritizing the needs of students and educators across the nation. We hope every school district will take full advantage of these resources.”
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
