Teachers now considered to be essential workers for the vaccine, President Biden says.
During the daily press briefing this Wednesday afternoon, Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that President Biden recommends that teachers are prioritized for the Covid vaccination and should be treated as essential workers.
While having all teachers vaccinated will not be a prerequisite for schools to open, President Biden thinks it is critical to make sure teachers can have access to the vaccine. There are, of course, factors where some states may not choose to include teachers in the prioritized groups. Still, President Biden urges that the federal government’s statement should not be viewed as a partisan issue.
“As the President of the United States, the leader of the country, he is conveying that this is important. It’s not a Republican or a Democratic issue whether or not our kids are behind,” said Psaki.
The motivation behind reopening schools and labeling teachers as essential workers is primarily for young students who rely on in-person classroom instruction to stay on track on the education path. Along with its impact on mental health, online learning can contribute to learning loss, disproportionately affecting students from communities of color.
“Getting kids back to school is one of the most equitable steps we can take because what we’ve seen statistically is that black and Latino students are disproportionately experiencing learning loss for a variety of reasons,” said Psaki.
Among these reasons are interconnectivity difficulties, lower-quality resources, and parents who are frontline workers.
President Biden is making steps that he sees as vital for educating the future of our country.