Since COVID-19 first closed the doors to school buildings 13 months ago, NEA members have faced so many challenges: first, the sudden pivot to virtual learning; and more recently, the rush to return to physical school buildings, even as many of our safety concerns remained unresolved.
I know it’s been hard and scary and exhausting. And although the pandemic has kept us from gathering as we have during years past, I am still able to hear about your challenges, and what I consider to be the real-life bravery that you exhibit every day. I also see the toll this year has taken on your mental and physical health, and how quarantine has traumatized our students and upended many of their lives. Still, I am inspired and encouraged by the way you have continued to support our students, their families and communities. Thank you.
What’s next? In this issue of NEA Today, we look forward. This winter’s guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided a science-based path for educators and students. Yes, science! You know I’m a middle school science teacher with 31 years of classroom experience. That’s why it has been beyond frustrating for me to see how some elected leaders ignored the science of this pandemic. But it is gratifying indeed to see the Biden-Harris administration—the elected leaders that you, NEA members, put into office—listening to the people who understand viruses and contagion.
They’re listening to you, too—particularly when it comes to efforts to correct the long-standing inequities that the pandemic revealed and exacerbated.
While we continue to face many challenges, this moment has also presented us with an opportunity to do all that we can to finally achieve education justice.
I am also encouraged by President Joe Biden’s unequivocal stance on educators and vaccinations. In early March, he directed all states to prioritize school employees for COVID-19 vaccines, setting a goal for every educator to receive at least one dose before the end of March. He knows that from the start of this pandemic, we partnered with families to serve students. We’ve adapted, innovated, and shown up for our students every day. Prioritizing the vaccination of educators will provide a much-needed, extra layer of protection that will keep our schools safe.
I have no doubt that we will continue to stand in solidarity, seeking the very best for every student and educator, as we continue to build a new future.
“Along with challenges, this moment has also presented us with an opportunity to do all that we can to finally achieve education justice.”
—NEA President Becky Pringle
