Teachers union president calls for full reopening of schools in fall

Washington — The president of the the second largest teachers union in the country called for a fully reopening of schools in the fall, saying in a speech on Thursday that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is "all in" on returning to full in-person learning. 

The remarks by Randi Weingarten come as some school districts remain hesitant to reopen, despite guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicating that it is safe to do so. "The United States will not be fully back, until we are fully back in school. And my union is all in," Weingarten said in a virtual address, announcing that the AFT would dedicate $5 million in a campaign to support reopening. She said that the pandemic had not only shown that in-person learning is how "kids learn best and that prolonged isolation is harmful," but also "underscored how important educators are."