The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
February 8, 2021

Teachers in Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco Fight for Coronavirus Safety Measures
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia teachers worried about catching COVID-19 in the classroom
won a victory Sunday after city officials said they did not have to
report to schools in person today. Philadelphia's school district had
previously threatened to discipline teachers who did not comply with
orders to return to classrooms to prep for in-person classes set to
resume later this month. Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president
Jerry Jordan said, "Other than sheer cruelty and a callous disregard for
the lives of educators and school staff, I can't think of another reason
to push forward with a reckless plan to reopen unsafe buildings."

Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union has reached a tentative agreement
with Chicago Public Schools to return to in-person learning. The deal
still requires the ratification of union members who were on the cusp of
striking over coronavirus safety concerns. San Francisco's teachers'
union reached a similar tentative agreement over the weekend.

In a CBS interview Sunday, Biden called school closures a "national
emergency" and said the CDC will soon issue recommendations for minimum
safety requirements in schools.


.