MSNBCâs Joe Scarborough says teachers should âquitâ their jobs if they do not want to teach in classrooms after the Chicago Teachers Union voted to switch to remote learning due to concerns about COVID-19.
During a segment of âMorning Joeâ Wednesday, Scarborough addressed the switch to remote learning, âIf you donât want to teach, donât teach. Quit. Just stay at home and stop teaching children, okay?â
âBecause when you set up that barrier to getting back to class when health care officials say that you can still be testing positive 30 days after, well if thatâs your standard, you are either ignorant when it comes to science, or you just donât want to be in classes,â he continued.
Finally, he said, âAnd if you donât want to be in classes, thatâs fine. Listen, thank you for your service to our children. Now go get another job.â
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His comments come after the Chicago Public Schools canceled classes for Wednesday following a vote by members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to switch to remote learning as coronavirus cases surge.
In a tweet Tuesday night, the CTU said, âStarting tomorrow, all CTU members at CPS schools should be working remotely. The result of tonightâs vote was 73 percent in favor of the remote-work-only job action.â
âThe action will end when one of the following conditions is met: The current surge in cases substantially subsides, or the mayorâs team at CPS signs an agreement establishing conditions for return that are voted on and approved by the CTU House of Delegates,â it added.
Additionally, it said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the CPS âhave yet to provide safety for the overwhelming majority of schools.â
Finally, the CTU said, âThousands of our members are CPS parents. To other parents and guardians of this city, we want you to know that when you put your children in our care, we put their well-being and safety first. We fight for your children like they are our own, because when we teach, they are.â
âWe understand the frustration that is felt by tonightâs decision, and assure families that we will continue to work diligently, as we have for the past 21 months, to encourage the mayor and her CPS team to at last commit to enforceable COVID-19 protections centered on safety,â it added.
While the CTU raised concerns about the safety of the schools amid the ongoing pandemic, Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said at a press conference on Tuesday, âThere is no evidence that our schools are unsafe.â
And Chicago Health Department Commissioner Allison Arwady argued that if students are vaccinated against the virus âthis is behaving really like the flu and we donât close school districts, especially for extended periods of time, for the flu.â
âI remain extremely comfortable with children continuing in-person education,â Arwady added.
