Coalition Of CT Teachers Seeks Uniform Quarantine Policy

CONNECTICUT —A coalition representing more than 60,000 public school employees has formally asked Gov. Ned Lamont to create a uniform coronavirus quarantine and leave policy for school districts.

In a letter sent to the governor dated Tuesday, the Connecticut Board of Education Union Coalition specifically requested that districts "must accommodate any educator and school staff willing and able to work remotely due to a health condition, while under quarantine, or when needing to care for a child at home, and if a district does not provide such remote work opportunity, must continue to pay its educator or staff."

The coalition said that a state mandate is necessary because districts cannot be trusted to "do the right thing." The letter accuses school superintendents of following the advice of their local legal counsels over the recommendations of the Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona who in November recommended that districts "grant flexibility to the greatest extent feasible to any staff member willing and able to work remotely while under quarantine."

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act required districts to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19, but that legislation expired Dec. 31. The letter said that since the start of the new year, "districts shamefully deny educators the opportunity to either perform their duties remotely, or continue receiving their salary."

The coalition is also calling for the continuation of public health provisions of previous COVID-19 orders through the end of the school year. The letter cites specifically Governor's Order 7R, which supports Cardona's recommendation that school leaders "consult with their board counsel because the CARES Act requires that school districts 'to the greatest extent practicable, continue to pay its employees and contractors while school is disrupted by the pandemic.'"