CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey joined Channel 3’s Mark Zinni this weekend on CT ’21 to talk about the return to school from the teachers’ perspective.
Dias said that school districts are waiting to hear from the governor about whether the state will require masks in the classroom—and added that if masks aren’t required, that could have a significant negative impact on students.
“Will we be facing a year of in and out due to quarantine?” Dias asked. “I think we’re really concerned about the impact of prolonged quarantines on students.”
DeLancey said that last year, teaching fifth grade, she saw the strain of remote learning on her students who remained at home as other students came back to the classroom.
“The isolation was really, really hard for some kids,” she said.
DeLancey said that teachers want to have all of their students back together in the classroom this year, “but we have to do that in a safe way and consistently, so it’s equitable across the state.”
Watch the full interview below.
