Legal Update on COIVD Concerns #2
Update on COVID-related legal issues
Update on COVID-related legal issues
The following WV Board of Education policies are on public comment until November 16th at 4:00PM. AFT-WV encourages our members to review the policies and comment with your feedback to the BOE.
Over the past several weeks, AFT-WV leadership has been consulting with our legal team to explore various ways to address the school-related COVID concerns of our members. Our in-house attorney and outside counsel have been researching case law and collaborating on possible avenues for intervention and action, both on the state and local levels.
AFT-WV is disappointed that, once again, the Governor has misrepresented our position regarding school re-entry metrics. The 5% positivity rate is only one of six necessary factors in the AFT’s guidance document, A Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities. The Governor continues to cherry-pick the portions of AFT’s public health guidance document to suit his own agenda.
Patience—counseled by former Vice President Joe Biden all election week as Americans waited for votes to be counted—finally paid off Nov. 7, four days after Election Day, when Biden won in Pennsylvania and gained enough Electoral College votes to acquire a new title: president-elect. AFT President Randi Weingarten says the union’s leaders and members “can’t wait to get started” on the work ahead “with an administration that will embrace and fight for the values we hold dear.”
AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest column outlines the urgency of using our voices—our votes—in this life-changing election, when we will make a choice “between President Donald Trump, who has trafficked in chaos, fear, lies and division, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who seeks to reverse Trump’s failures on COVID-19 and the economy, and to unite and uplift the American people.” Besides the four crises we face—a pandemic, an economic crisis, racism and a climate emergency—democracy itself is on the ballot, as Trump continues to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
Congratulations to AFT-Randolph County, one of the winners of an AFT Innovation Fund COVID-19 Response Grant!
AFT-Randolph was one of 13 grantees selected for the national AFT grants.
Click here to read the full press release.
Looking to sharpen your teaching skills? Need 3 or 6 hours of affordable graduate credit?
AFT-WV is offering two online courses to meet our members needs: Foundations of Effective Teaching & Thinking Math
Course descriptions and info:
ALL AFT-WV MEMBERS
Fraternal Greetings:
In compliance with Article VI of the AFT-WV Constitution, the Executive Board officially issues this call for the Federation’s Constitutional Convention, scheduled to convene as follows:
Date/ Time: Saturday, Nov. 14
$40.00 Delegate Registration Fee per delegate is waived this year
9:00AM - 3:00 PM Convention & Workshops
Convention & Election of Officers
Today, Governor Justice unveiled additional changes to the WVDE color-coded school metric. While we agree that more testing is imperative in gaining a more accurate reflection of the infection rates in our communities, AFT-WV questions the effectiveness of a constantly changing metric for school attendance. Employees, parents, and students need a system they can trust and easily understand.