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Teachers in multiple states have organized a mass “sick out.”

Today is officially the first day of school for public learning institutions all over the United States. Unfortunately, neither students nor teachers are especially enthused with the notion of going back to in-person schooling when there’s still a viral pandemic going on. Despite the obvious health concerns, school districts have been attempting to open regardless, and the results have been decidedly negative. Numerous teachers and students, who needed to begin school earlier than the official first day for one reason or another, have already tested positive for COVID-19 and been quarantined. It is for this reason that teachers have decided they’re fed up.

Teachers from all over the country have coordinated a mass “sick out,” in which they will refuse to come to work, if not retire or resign outright, if they are required to teach in-person. Arizona teachers are currently protesting the local school board’s decision to reopen despite the complete lack of a safety strategy. So many teachers have called out at the J.O. Combs district in Phoenix, that the school literally couldn’t reopen on time. Over in Michigan, the Detroit Federation of Teachers will be voting this week on whether to attempt to return to school or begin striking. At least 79 teachers across Salt Lake County in Utah have resigned or retired over COVID concerns.

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“This is not a traditional work stoppage,” said Terrence Martin, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. “This is a refusal of employees to return to an unsafe work environment. Our teachers are ready to teach. We’re excited. We miss our students, we want to continue to engage with them, but we want to do it safely.”

Despite President Trump’s repeated claims that children are less susceptible to coronavirus infection, confirmed COVID-19 cases in children rose at least 90% in the last two weeks of July. Children currently comprise approximately 7% of all US COVID-19 infections. Nevertheless, President Trump, along with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, have been repeatedly insisting that schools must reopen no matter what.