Madison Teachers Want an Online-Only Start to the School Year

Union mirrors other cities, slams ‘magical thinking and unfunded mandates’ from those forcing in-person classes to resume

The Madison teachers union on Thursday called on district leaders to start the upcoming school year with online-only learning amid fears of educators and students getting sick with COVID-19. 

In a news release union leaders said a virtual learning model is the best way to ensure the physical and emotional health of students, teachers and families. 

The teachers union said the district’s educators are prepared to start work Sept. 1, but they asked that the district commit to all-virtual learning for at least the first quarter of the school year, that students be provided with learning devices and internet access, and safety supplies and protocols be in place when students and teachers return to classrooms.

The district’s current plan is lacking in several ways and fails to adequately protect students and teachers from the virus, the release states. For instance, the plan fails to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for when it is safe to gather in spaces like schools, union leaders said. 

Equity concerns for socioeconomically disadvantaged students and those of color also are not addressed in the reopening proposal, union leaders said. 

“As educators, this is a difficult decision for us because we pursue our profession out of our love of working with children, and that work is done best when we can do work with them in person,” union Vice President Michael Jones said in the statement, noting that teachers are excited to work with students and their families again.

“But we refuse to jeopardize the lives of our children or our families with a reopening plan that relies on magical thinking and unfunded mandates,” he said.

Teachers, parents and others across Wisconsin are debating what the new school year will look like as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continues to climb rapidly. 

On Thursday the state Department of Health Services reported 900 new cases of COVID-19, a continuation of record-high numbers during the past week. A total of 831 in Wisconsin have died from the virus and 39,627 have tested positive.

In addition, public health officials said, 59 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties are listed as having high activity levels of the virus, up from 48 counties the previous week, and 831 have died from the virus. Nationally, there are more than 3.4 million cases of COVID-19 detected and the death toll has topped 138,000.  

The Madison teachers union said it would be “irresponsible and immoral” to continue to plan for in-person instruction when COVID-19 numbers continue to surge. As of Thursday, Dane County had 3,301 positive cases of the virus and among the highest infection rates in the state. 

The Madison teachers union request mirrors the planned reopening of the school year in Milwaukee Public Schools, where classes will begin online as well. Many other districts have announced hybrid education options in which students would split learning between classrooms and online. Other districts are planning face-to-face instruction, with safeguards such as social distancing and frequent cleaning.