The North Shore Superintendents Round Table group, along with their respective teachers’ unions, are urging Gov. Charlie Baker to bump educators up from Phase 2 into Phase 1 to make them immediately eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.
A total of 28 school districts along with the Noth Shore Education Consortium signed the letter, which was sent electronically and via certified mail Friday afternoon.
“We believe it is inarguable that educators are frontline workers,” the letter stated. “Give the societal need for public school — not just public school via Zoom — and the expectations set by your office and DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), educators should be vaccinated immediately and without delay so that they can perform their duties safely and securely.”
The letter cited the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in “urging you to prioritize the health and well-being of our educators so that Massachusetts school districts can operate at the fullest possible strength as our nation begins to emerge from this global pandemic.”
Among the reasons supporting the reclassification request was the belief that “the best place for learning for our children is in the classroom,” and that the American Academy of Pediatrics “advocates that students should fully return to the classroom where and when possible.”
The letter also pointed out safety and transmission concerns, including potential exposure to educators’ own families, an inability to be completely socially distanced at all times and added stress and anxiety “placed on educators as they continue to put themselves in this position without the protection of an existing vaccination, (which) is unfair and is not in the best interest of advancing public education in the Commonwealth.”
The letter pointed out that nearby states, including New York, Connecticut and Maine, have prioritized educators as eligible for first-phase vaccination.
Among the local districts who signed the letter are Lynn Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler and Sheila O’Neil (union president); Lynnfield Public Schools, Superintendent Kristen S. Vogel and Lorie Kelly (union president); Marblehead Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. John J. Buckey and Joan Miller (union president); Peabody Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Josh Vadala and Mary Henry (union president); Revere Public Schools, Superintendent Dianne K. Kelly and Gina Garro (union president); Salem Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Stephen Zrike and Ann Berman (union president); Saugus Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. David DeRuosi, Jr. and Richard Lavoie (union president); Swampscott Public Schools, Superintendent Pamela R. H. Angelakis and Rebecca Bucklin (union president), and Winthrop Public Schools, Superintendent Lisa A. Howard and Kristen Reynolds (union president).
“We didn’t do this lightly,” said Vadala. “As the leaders of public school districts, we feel it is incumbent upon us to speak out on behalf of the educators who come to school every day despite the inherent risk amid a raging pandemic.
“We all agree — there is no substitute for in-person learning. Teachers are prioritizing their students’ well-being, and the state should be prioritizing the well-being of teachers.”
