AFT President on Updated CDC Guidelines for Children in Schools: ‘I Just Hope This Is Not a Rush’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BOLDUAN Randy ░░░░░░░░ ve been critical of ░░░░░░░░ talk of this move ░░░░░░░░ What do you think ░░░░░░░░ is the announcement s ░░░░░░░░ out WEINGARTEN So we ░░░░░░░░ reserving judgment Kate We ░░░░░░░░ to see the studies ░░░░░░░░ study out so the ░░░░░░░░ that was out in ░░░░░░░░ last few days from ░░░░░░░░ the doctor said was ░░░░░░░░ ready for prime time ░░░░░░░░ you know I ve ░░░░░░░░ listening all day to ░░░░░░░░ experts you had on ░░░░░░░░ you know and Dr ░░░░░░░░ will obviously talk about ░░░░░░░░ too But the issue ░░░░░░░░ this is being driven ░░░░░░░░ space concerns not by ░░░░░░░░ concerns And when that ░░░░░░░░ we have to see ░░░░░░░░ it means And frankly ░░░░░░░░ so many of the ░░░░░░░░ that s I represent ░░░░░░░░ urban places that have ░░░░░░░░ now recently reopened because ░░░░░░░░ don t have great ░░░░░░░░ the density of classrooms ░░░░░░░░ really important if you ░░░░░░░░ a lot of you ░░░░░░░░ bodies in a room ░░░░░░░░ so you know the ░░░░░░░░ is saying that all ░░░░░░░░ other mitigation factors have ░░░░░░░░ stay there including good ░░░░░░░░ which 40 of the ░░░░░░░░ don t have including ░░░░░░░░ wearing which Texas and ░░░░░░░░ and others are not ░░░░░░░░ And so you know ░░░░░░░░ teachers are being vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ s really good But ░░░░░░░░ worry with the new ░░░░░░░░ what s going to ░░░░░░░░ in terms of transmissibility ░░░░░░░░ kids and with their ░░░░░░░░ So we got to ░░░░░░░░ the studies We got ░░░░░░░░ see what it really ░░░░░░░░ And I just hope ░░░░░░░░ is not a rush ░░░░░░░░ put in twice as ░░░░░░░░ deaths in a place ░░░░░░░░ we re really starting ░░░░░░░░ get things reopened BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ m surprised to hear ░░░░░░░░ think that this is ░░░░░░░░ rush Randy Let me ░░░░░░░░ to that in a ░░░░░░░░ Let me bring in ░░░░░░░░ Wen on this Where ░░░░░░░░ the science on this ░░░░░░░░ Wen The CDC very ░░░░░░░░ says they don t ░░░░░░░░ until there is the ░░░░░░░░ to suggest it WEN ░░░░░░░░ s the thing I ░░░░░░░░ actually surprised by the ░░░░░░░░ guidelines Here s what ░░░░░░░░ m not surprised by ░░░░░░░░ m not surprised by ░░░░░░░░ move from six feet ░░░░░░░░ three feet in general ░░░░░░░░ think it s important ░░░░░░░░ do that if we ░░░░░░░░ any chance of having ░░░░░░░░ schools being fully reopened ░░░░░░░░ in person instruction So ░░░░░░░░ think the goal of ░░░░░░░░ this is really important ░░░░░░░░ was expecting though for ░░░░░░░░ CDC to say if ░░░░░░░░ want to move from ░░░░░░░░ feet to three feet ░░░░░░░░ also need to have ░░░░░░░░ mitigation measures in place ░░░░░░░░ in if we see ░░░░░░░░ distancing as one layer ░░░░░░░░ we re peeling away ░░░░░░░░ one layer you also ░░░░░░░░ to put in other ░░░░░░░░ For example twice weekly ░░░░░░░░ Or making sure that ░░░░░░░░ are that there is ░░░░░░░░ ventilation And I also ░░░░░░░░ they put vaccinations in ░░░░░░░░ as an additional layer ░░░░░░░░ sure that students that ░░░░░░░░ in schools with three ░░░░░░░░ distancing have a opportunity ░░░░░░░░ be vaccinated Just saying ░░░░░░░░ want to move from ░░░░░░░░ feet to three feet ░░░░░░░░ m not sure that ░░░░░░░░ data are sufficient to ░░░░░░░░ that this is safe ░░░░░░░░ considering the variants we ░░░░░░░░ that are more contagious ░░░░░░░░ hope the CDC addresses ░░░░░░░░ additional measures BOLDUAN I ░░░░░░░░ looking down because I ░░░░░░░░ looking at the information ░░░░░░░░ has come down from ░░░░░░░░ CDC guidelines Sanjay is ░░░░░░░░ out earlier does talk ░░░░░░░░ other mitigation layers being ░░░░░░░░ place It does the ░░░░░░░░ is talking about the ░░░░░░░░ needed and ventilation being ░░░░░░░░ And we ve already ░░░░░░░░ about a prioritization of ░░░░░░░░ that s been like ░░░░░░░░ the whole conversation of ░░░░░░░░ schools was before this ░░░░░░░░ you do think on ░░░░░░░░ most basic level that ░░░░░░░░ science is there to ░░░░░░░░ from six feet to ░░░░░░░░ feet Right WEN I ░░░░░░░░ the science is there ░░░░░░░░ these additional requirements are ░░░░░░░░ put into place And ░░░░░░░░ if we say that ░░░░░░░░ re going to eliminate ░░░░░░░░ physical distancing guideline we ░░░░░░░░ must have regular surveillance ░░░░░░░░ and we need to ░░░░░░░░ these this particular checklist ░░░░░░░░ what improved ventilation is ░░░░░░░░ to look like So ░░░░░░░░ think that s the ░░░░░░░░ that is missing I ░░░░░░░░ I do have a ░░░░░░░░ There are a lot ░░░░░░░░ teachers a lot of ░░░░░░░░ who still have not ░░░░░░░░ still don t feel ░░░░░░░░ in school And if ░░░░░░░░ re going to make ░░░░░░░░ move to increase the ░░░░░░░░ even further in schools ░░░░░░░░ need to give them ░░░░░░░░ reassurance BOLDUAN The reassurance ░░░░░░░░ in hearing a clear ░░░░░░░░ from the CDC Hearing ░░░░░░░░ clear message from public ░░░░░░░░ officials Hearing seeing and ░░░░░░░░ the science behind it ░░░░░░░░ you touched on this ░░░░░░░░ a second You touched ░░░░░░░░ this in just a ░░░░░░░░ ago But you also ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ you think the CDC ░░░░░░░░ under a lot of ░░░░░░░░ pressure in order to ░░░░░░░░ this guidance I was ░░░░░░░░ struck by that wording ░░░░░░░░ Do you think the ░░░░░░░░ is not following the ░░░░░░░░ here Do you think ░░░░░░░░ re actually bending to ░░░░░░░░ pressure to do this ░░░░░░░░ Look I think there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of outside ░░░░░░░░ for good reason to ░░░░░░░░ our kids in school ░░░░░░░░ m not saying that ░░░░░░░░ is wrong We all ░░░░░░░░ know as you know ░░░░░░░░ we ve been trying ░░░░░░░░ figure out how to ░░░░░░░░ kids back in school ░░░░░░░░ last April a year ░░░░░░░░ I think what happened ░░░░░░░░ you have the school ░░░░░░░░ who think about all ░░░░░░░░ logistics of what this ░░░░░░░░ and how this is ░░░░░░░░ to work and you ░░░░░░░░ the health people who ░░░░░░░░ basically saying that you ░░░░░░░░ that this will allow ░░░░░░░░ know twice as many ░░░░░░░░ in a classroom And ░░░░░░░░ context here is what ░░░░░░░░ missing That s why ░░░░░░░░ said when we saw ░░░░░░░░ CDC we were briefed ░░░░░░░░ night and we said ░░░░░░░░ we will reserve judgment ░░░░░░░░ do believe that this ░░░░░░░░ CDC really wants to ░░░░░░░░ about the science They ░░░░░░░░ a lot of integrity ░░░░░░░░ m not suggesting that ░░░░░░░░ don t But there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of pressure ░░░░░░░░ the space issues and ░░░░░░░░ frustration is that there ░░░░░░░░ so many extra space ░░░░░░░░ so many places and ░░░░░░░░ that we should be ░░░░░░░░ that space now and ░░░░░░░░ really assuring everyone that ░░░░░░░░ we that as we ░░░░░░░░ in person that the ░░░░░░░░ of that reopening is ░░░░░░░░ mitigated by concern about ░░░░░░░░