TULSA — The Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association announced support for virtual learning for the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year.
TCTA said they agree with the State Board of Education's recommended safety guidelines for the academic year.
Public school classrooms are microcosms of society and if we return to in-person learning too soon, we increase the risks for the Tulsa community at large.
Due to the continued increase of coronavirus cases in the state and city of Tulsa, the Tulsa County Health Department continues to state it is unsafe for people to gather inside in large groups.
TCTA is concerned of how many children could get coronavirus.
While children, may, overall, be unaffected, the thought of one child becoming so ill that they die is just unbearable. The current status of Tulsa County based on the Oklahoma Department of Health's COVID-19 Alert System is the orange, or moderate level of risk. The general guidelines under the moderate risk category include limiting gatherings, travel and teleworking if possible.
TCTA expressed they do not want to have their students or education employees put at risk by returning to in-person learning.
TCTA said they are committed to working together on the next steps, which include tech training, distance learning plans for every grade level and working on creating solutions for the Tulsa Public Schools community.
"Considering the number of infections we continue to see and the prospects of returning to in-person learning during a global pandemic, the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association supports a virtual, rather than physical, return to our school buildings for the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year. This breaks our hearts because we want to be with our students as much as they want to be back in class with us," said TCTA.
Tulsa Public Schools is holding a special meeting on Monday, July 27 at 4 p.m. to talk about the the school calendar, programming, contingency planning and health and safety precautions in regards to the coronavirus pandemic.
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