Teachers union calls on Columbus City Schools to go remote for two weeks
Michael Lee
**This story was updated on Jan. 12**
The Columbus Education Association called on Columbus City Schools Tuesday to go remote for a short period to combat the surge of the omicron variant.
In an email, the teachers union called on members to sign an open letter demanding the district move to remote learning for two weeks as COVID hospitalization and case numbers continue to increase in the county.
The email also included a video allegedly showing empty offices at the district's central enrollment facility. CEA president John Coneglio wrote that they presumed the employees there were working remote on Monday.
"The district's decision sends a clear message," Coneglio wrote. "Our administration is fully aware that it is too risky for CCS staff to be working together in an enclosed space."
In the open letter, the union states a two-week pause to in-person learning would allow the district to "secure and distribute proper masks, deep clean our buildings and potentially make repairs to the HVAC systems that are not working."
Columbus City Schools declined to provide comment on the video.
But in response to the union's call for remote learning, the district wrote in a statement that it will continue to provide additional support where necessary, while also continuing to follow the guidance of public health experts, "who have advised us that our mitigation efforts are working." This includes universal masking, frequent handwashing and social distancing, according to the district.
"The District appreciates the work of all employees throughout the pandemic and their willingness to be flexible to serve our students," the district wrote. "We are in daily communication with union leadership as we evaluate whether to transition individual school buildings to remote learning."
The district also wrote that the process to transition buildings to remote learning include looking at the number of absences and types of absences throughout the day.
On Wednesday, CEA officially released their open letter, with over 2,600 Columbus City Schools educators having signed it.
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Across the country, teacher unions in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles have either called for or considered calling for a push to go online learning. Chicago Public Schools canceled classes last week until Wednesday, when students will return to classrooms after the Chicago Teachers Union suspended a walkout.
During its first week back from winter break, Columbus City Schools experienced a high of 24 schools closed in one day due to staff shortages, and it went completely remote at the end of the week due to absences of transportation workers.
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On Tuesday, four Columbus City Schools buildings went remote, including Arts Impact Middle School, Hilltonia Middle School, Parsons Elementary School and Wedgewood Middle School.
"To get back to maximum in-person learning, let's do what it takes to safely navigate the current surge with a two-week temporary remote learning pause," the union wrote in its open letter.
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