Our Union was told to expect clarity and communication by the end of last week. Worst of all, when inevitably poor staffing causes all schools to be closed, such as on Friday January 7, students receive no instruction whatsoever.

This creates chaos and confusion for students, parents, and educators who don’t know what to expect. In addition, many buildings are reporting HVAC issues and are operating with little or no heat in the cold weather. Even when educators can cover enough classes, reported staffing shortages in transportation and food service are causing late busses and inadequate distribution of meals to students. Data suggests that we have between a 20 to 30 percent substitute fill rate for absent educators. the same day, is (as you stated in the press) unsustainable. The current model of daily decisions to open some schools on below-skeleton staffing and close others, sometimes as late as 6:30 A.M. Over the last two weeks, reported hospitalizations in Franklin County from COVID-19 are up by 25%. We strongly believe that the best way to ensure maximum in-person learning in the coming months is to combat the current surge with decisive action today. First and foremost, we agree wholeheartedly with your position that the best learning takes place in-person, in our schools. We, the undersigned educators, and proud members of the Columbus Education Association, call upon your Administration to immediately institute a two-week temporary remote learning pause to get us through the worst of the current COVID-19 Omicron surge.

Alyssa goldman liberty middle school