Harris Co. Judge grants temporary restraining order for Cy-Fair teachers
HOUSTON - A Harris County Judge has granted a temporary restraining order after teachers were required to return to work.
The Cypress-Fairbanks AFT filed the lawsuit on Friday.
Initially, the school district told teachers and school employees to return to their schools for professional development and new teacher orientation on Friday.
“Our school district has ignored our pleas to reduce the number of school personnel required to be in school buildings because of a surging COVID-19 infection rate in the Houston area. What the district is doing could further spread the virus and contaminate our schools; we don’t want to be a part of that problem. Minimizing the number of employees at schools and worksites allows our community to slow the spread and get the virus under control,” said Cy-Fair AFT President Nikki Cowart in a press release. “As president of Cy-Fair AFT and the parent of two Cy-Fair students, I know that is not the way to start the new school year.”
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According to a release, the Cy-Fair school district, just outside of Houston, has 91 campuses with 116,000 students and 7,800 teachers and other school employees. School starts Sept. 8 and families had to choose all-remote or all in-person learning. A majority of parents selected to keep their children home and do schooling online. After the first grading period, families can make changes to their decision.
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Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a release, “This is another reckless example of ignoring science, safety and basic humanity in the zeal to pretend there is no pandemic affecting the Texas and the United States. Making educators enter Cy-Fair school buildings right now, given the surge in COVID-19 cases in Harris County and without following safety protocols, will jeopardize their health and safety and that of their families and the children they serve. It’s just wrong. Cy-Fair should spend the time planning for a way to reopen school safely, not dangerously.”