Home Contra Costa County Contra Costa County Education Leaders Join Call for Teacher Vaccinations

Contra Costa County Education Leaders Join Call for Teacher Vaccinations

by ECT

Martinez, CA – Today the Contra Costa County School Boards Association (CCCSBA) and fourteen school board presidents sent a joint letter calling on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and Contra Costa County Health Services to:

  1.  immediately ensure that all education workers in Contra Costa County school districts, particularly those reporting to work in-person, have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines;
  2. provide clear and consistent communications about how education and childcare workers are to receive their vaccines.”

Public schools in Contra Costa County have been closed since March 2020. The extended closures have affected school children academically, socially, and emotionally. The closures have also complicated matters for parents who are forced to choose between working and leaving children home alone.

CCCSBA president Cherise Khaund said, “Federal, state, and local government have emphasized how critical safe, open schools are to the economy and to public health. In the depth of this global pandemic, these claims must be met by action.” Khaund is also president of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District Board of Education.

The letter further states, “Our districts are ready, willing, and able to support County public health efforts.” West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education President Mister Phillips agrees: “There’s a reason public schools are part of the emergency response network. Let us do our part to help vaccinate school employees like school districts in other counties,” says Phillips.

Click here to read the letter.

CCCSBA includes trustee representation from the 18 public school districts within Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa County Office of Education and the Contra Costa Community College District. CCCSBA sponsors educational events on timely topics for school board members, superintendents, and the public. CCCSBA encourages members and the public to advocate on local, state, and national legislation and policies affecting public education.

 

3:20 pm UPDATE:
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisor John Gioia confirmed in an email he plans on bringing this up Tuesday at the Board of Supervisor Meeting.

 

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8 comments

Robert C. Feb 1, 2021 - 3:13 pm

In other words, they are caving to the real force behind this “call”: the unions. Teachers’ unions talk the talk about how “the kids come first” but they don’t walk the walk.

FrankS Feb 1, 2021 - 3:16 pm

What took them so long to do this? Better late than never!

Troy McClure Feb 1, 2021 - 8:32 pm

The unions will never allow it. They are the overlords. Apparently they call the shots. I guess it beats working.

Michael R Sagehorn Feb 1, 2021 - 10:47 pm

Robert C. – Horse dung! I will return to in-person instruction when Contra Costa and the State of California decide and determine the conditions of a “green tier.” I don’t give two sacks of manure what my bargaining unit says or agrees to in this return to in person instruction. It’s a pandemic, sir. Over 400 K Americans are dead. Unions have nothing to do with this. I’m a former Marine. Returning to in person instruction is as asinine as a frontal assault on a fortified position with interlocking fields of fire and dead space covered by mortars, People will die. Piss off.

Robert C. Feb 2, 2021 - 5:59 am

Michael,

Regardless of your personal opinion, the teachers’ union are obstructionist in all matters. Always have been.

I would support prioritizing teachers for the vaccine – once the schools open. Otherwise we’ll delay vaccinating high risk people only to find the unions come up with yet another reason not to return to work. It’s called “moving the goalpost.”

There are MANY THOUSANDS of essential workers who have continued to work throughout the pandemic – not just medical workers and emergency responders, but in such fields as transportation, logistics, utilities, telecomm, retail, etc. What makes teachers such an exception?

BTW, your veteran status has nothing to do with the issue. I’m retired military myself.

Jayden Green Feb 2, 2021 - 6:21 am

Thank you sir for being a rare voice of reason on here. Good luck to you.

Jaimoe Feb 2, 2021 - 8:49 am

In a time of school shootings, good analogy. …….Or threat ?
Anyways, take your little violent brain out of the jar, insert back into head.
Deprogram or risk all our lives. ✌?

Sandy Himel Feb 3, 2021 - 5:30 pm

Teachers want to get back to the classroom, BUT safely. When we are vaccinated, have the funding to have 1/2 students in class, other half still distance. I’m sure the complaints will continue.
I am an instructional assistant, I’ve worked 40 years, I was given the option of working on site or from home, I chose on site. I belong to a Union, they are our voice for safety. I feel perfectly safe thanks to our protocols from our Principal, Office Staff & and much appreciated custodian.
Our teachers work double hard, we put in more hours zooming,one on one,prep. I stay late everyday, teachers have no down time.
Everyone’s health is the most important issue. Luckily I get vaccinated, because of age, but not teachers, so those who think open school, then vaccinate, that’s backwards. Your children may get exposed and carry it back to school. We don’t know everything about this virus. I know how hard this has been, we’ve been doing this for awhile, so please appreciate teachers!!

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