Following the lead of Madison La Follette High School and other schools, teachers and staff from Madison East High School will participate in a “teach-out” Thursday morning, demanding safety for students and staff returning to school.
Madison East will be voicing its safety concerns based on MTI’s Framework for Phased Re-entry, East teacher Carla Oppenheimer said in a press release.
“We want to teach, and in fact, we have been teaching our students in new and creative ways for almost a year now, but we want in-person teaching to be safe for staff, students, and the community,” Oppenheimer wrote. “MMSD’s current plan for re-entry leaves too many critical safety questions unanswered. We know that our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions, and so we teach out for the health and well-being of our entire East community.”
The teach-out will take place 8:30 a.m.-noon. Oppenheimer said there will be “virtual social-distanced instruction outdoors, signs and posters” from teachers and staff who will be willing to be interviewed to explain concerns and ongoing demands.
“We teach out to stand in solidarity with our colleagues who have already been working in buildings, such as the early childhood educators, MSCR Cares staff, custodians, food service workers, and special education teachers and assistants,” Oppenheimer said in the press release. “We teach out to stand up for the BIPOC and low-income students, families, staff, and community members who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID. We teach out to stand in solidarity with the elementary staff and teachers required to return in the coming weeks.”
