Governor Abbott's executive order states that no governmental entity can force a person to wear a mask inside a building.
Zeph Capo, president of the teachers union Texas Alliance AFT says "we are asking that the governor stand down and stand out of the way and let local school districts decide how best to implement safety protocols in their districts."
He says 80 percent of teachers polled said they want this issue decided locally, by district. "Our government systems are supposed to be in place to keep the population safe, and we just don't think that Texas government systems are working to meet that goal right now."
Capo notes the CDC and the American Pediatric Association are also recommending that schools continue to mask.
In person learning resumes this month and teachers want to be back in person. Capo say teachers, particularly elementary school teachers have the added responsibility of making sure their student stay safe. Children under 12 cannot get the vaccine.
"Our teachers are concerned that people should be masking indoors, but we do need some level of social distancing so we can be back in person in a safe way. In a way that parents and staff will feel comfortable so we can continue to get as close to back on track as possible."
He says he hopes student's parents speak out to the governor and will err on the side of caution. He hopes they'll send their children to school with masks and he would like to see masking breaks as well. "That's what schools should be doing, particularly for younger kids is building in masking breaks so the kids can go outside and take their masks off."
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD