Some CT Teachers Participating in ‘Refuse to Return’ Movement

To return or not to return to fulltime classroom instruction in the fall. That is the question.

The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a definitive answer. Discussions have been ongoing between school administrators, parents, and Connecticut government officials. U.S. Senator, Richard Blumenthal, recently got together with school administrators, teachers, and parents to discuss the lack of technology for students.

Another significant concern revolves around the dangers of a worldwide pandemic and how it may affect the health of teachers, their students, and the parents if in-school instruction takes place when the new school year begins. Jaclyn Tolkin is a first-grade teacher in Meriden and is a part of the "Refuse to Return" classroom movement, which prioritizes safety and health first. Here is what she told wtnh.com,

This movement is saying we, as teachers, need to let our building administrator and our superintendents know that we refuse to return to in-person class until our counties have 14 days of no new cases.

 

Yet another great concern is the lack of access to technology as it pertains to distance learning, specifically computers, and free broadband internet. Tolkin explained to wtnh.com that the state has not yet guaranteed the proper amount of PPE required for both students and teachers.

Frustration and concern are top-of-mind for parents with school-age children who both work full time. The uncertainty of having enough resources should schools return to distance learning and then add-in the worry over the chance of contracting the virus, and now you can officially name the summer of 2020 as the most stressful of all time.