Michigan teacher's union caucus makes demands for safe school reopening

(FOX 2) - Teachers from across Michigan weighed in via Zoom Tuesday, calling for virtual learning instead of a return to the classroom this fall.

The teachers represent a group called MI-CORE, the largest teacher union caucus in Michigan, and are calling on every educational union to speak up and put safety first as COVID-19 cases in Michigan continue to rise.

"I am extremely anxious, nervous about stepping back into the classroom and putting myself at risk, my daughter, my son," said Kathy Bommarito, a teacher in Avondale.

"Our colleagues, our colleagues' family members, our student family members and likely some of our students will die. We refuse to sacrifice the public health of our communities," said Ingrid Pylvainen, a teacher in Traverse City.

"Now in this pandemic it is a matter of life and death and we absolutely have to draw the line. We cannot go back into these crowded classrooms and risk everyone's health and safety," said Brianne Wilson, a teacher in Swartz Creek.

But the teachers also know some parents are hopeful that schools will re-open so they can return to work - but other parents have lost jobs that are lost forever because of the pandemic.

Teachers also fear that students in economically-challenged districts won't have the funding resources or access to the technology they need to learn from home.

"We're going to demand a federal school bailout to address this COVID-19 crisis. This is indeed a crisis; it's a plague and it is real," said Vanessa Dawson, a teacher in Detroit.

But as the federal government calls for schools to re-open, for Dawson and all of the teachers represented on the call it's about equality, equity, safety and staying home.

"We must fight to ensure that all students have equal learning opportunities regardless to where they live," Dawson said.

"Kids' education is important but they first have to be safe and feel safe, and under the current conditions we are not safe to return to in-person instruction," Bommarito said.

MI CORE is a teacher union caucus that represents more than 1,000 registered members working as educators in schools across the state of Michigan.