‘Simply irresponsible.’ Teachers union says KY schools should not return in-person yet.

The Kentucky Education Association said Friday that based on scientific evidence, Kentucky’s public schools should not open to in-person instruction at this time.

In-person instruction should not resume until, at a minimum, the infection rate in Kentucky and the infection rate in the county in which the school district is located both fall below 4 percent and both remain below 4 percent for 21 consecutive days as measured by a 7-day rolling average, David Patterson, spokesman for the teachers’ union, said in a release.

The infection rate in the state Friday was 5.57 percent.

“Districts must also consider other factors unique to their own communities, such as the infection rate among school-aged children and whether the Department of Public Health supports their reopening plan. Doing anything else is simply irresponsible,” Patterson said.

“KEA calls on school district decision makers, specifically superintendents and school boards, to make the responsible decision to protect students and educators by closing schools to in-person instruction and beginning the 2020-21 school year virtually for all students.”

Gov. Andy Beshear’s spokeswoman Crystal Staley said in an email, “We have been in close communication with the KEA and its members. This is an education-first administration that recognizes and understands the concerns of our hardworking educators, and would never advocate for them to be put in harm’s way.

“Next week, we will be providing additional commentary on how and when we believe it will be safe to resume in-person classes.”

Beshear said Wednesday that at this point, he wasn’t comfortable with schools returning to in-person learning. However, Beshear hasn’t yet asked schools to move their in-person start date beyond the third week in August.

The KEA, a voluntary organization, represents about 42,000 educators in the state.

Madison County Education Association President Susan Cintra also is appealing to her superintendent and school board not to return to school in-person in August and instead start the year virtually because “teachers are scared” of getting coronavirus.

Cintra said Friday 80 percent of members responding to a recent survey “do not feel safe returning to in-person instruction.”

Her request comes as another Central Kentucky school district, Woodford County, on Thursday night decided against beginning the year in-person and instead said the year would begin with virtual instruction on Aug. 26.

Sixty-nine percent of Madison Education Association members are at risk or live with someone who’s at risk, Cintra said.

What makes “me lose sleep at night,” Cintra said, is that the kids at the district’s kindergarten academy aren’t required to wear masks and 23 teachers in that building are high risk or live with someone who is.

“So I have a building full of teachers who are high risk taking care of kids who aren’t wearing masks and it’s one of our older buildings so the ventilation systems are not great so it makes me really nervous,” she said.

“I think it’s pertinent that we make this decision,” said Cintra. ”We want to be able to plan and focus on a quality virtual education” for the district’s approximately 12,000 students.

Madison County’s current plan is to start school August 26 in person five days a week in person, wearing a mask and socially distancing.

Cintra wants to begin virtually and reassess after six weeks.

“Madison County Schools greatly values the work and leadership of the Madison County Education Association. Teacher input and expertise are an intricate part of our planning process,” Madison County School spokeswoman Erin Stewart said Friday night. “ We feel the plan developed by the district and approved by the Madison County Board of Education takes into account the best interests and safety of all stakeholders involved.”

Some Kentucky school districts are already dealing with COVID-19 cases among their staff before in-person learning starts and there are concerns about teacher training sessions.

Murray Independent Superintendent Coy Sammons said Friday he knows of four cases among his staff, three active, but doesn’t know where they got it.

This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 4:29 PM.