What educators want to be safe and what they are willing to do to get it.
The results are in for a survey of 1803 MNPS educators who were asked if they felt safe returning to in-person classes based on the district’s current plans. Of that total, only approximately 18% said “yes”, while 49% said “no”, and 32% said “maybe”. However, 97% of the respondents, including those who said “yes” indicated they wanted additional protections in place before returning to in-person classes. Top among those demands are: adequate PPE and cleaning supplies, paid extended sick leave, small class sizes that allow for 6 feet of distance between desks, the choice to revert to teaching online, and adequate ventilation in classrooms.
The good news is that MNEA and MNPS have already successfully negotiated having adequate PPE in our buildings in our MOU. And there is already federally protected leave for employees who must quarantine due to COVID, or to care for a child with COVID.
However, more must be done to ensure safe classrooms for all. Now that we know what educators need to feel safe, we are asking what they are willing to do to achieve those goals.
Call to Action Survey
MNEA is following up with a second survey this week to ask educators what actions they are willing to do to make these demands a reality. The results of that action will determine our plan going forward.