LA Teachers Union Drops Mask Mandatory

Indoor masking is optional for all staff and students starting Wednesday, but "highly encouraged."

The Los Angeles Unified School District's indoor mask requirement was dropped Monday by the United Los Angeles Teachers Union, ratifying a precautionary agreement.

Beginning Wednesday, LAUSD students and staff will no longer need to wear masks. Staff and students at early education centers serving children under four years old must comply.

UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz said preserving the mandate for younger kids who cannot acquire COVID vaccines was vital.

With the weekly testing program and the robust safety measures we negotiated with the district, UTL educators, parents, and school communities campaigned for LAUSD to be the vanguard of health and safety in public education nationwide during this pandemic. "We will continue to prioritize health and safety as we track the virus's path."

Eighty-four percent of the UTLA members who voted approved the accord (15,466). (2,954).

Until the end of the school year, the UTLA requires the District to "make every attempt" to test all workers and students for COVID. The panel will examine testing policy in April and May.

Students and staff will also be given take-home rapid-antigen testing and KN95 or N95 masks, all "highly advised."

In light of the upcoming academic year, a new agreement is expected to be suggested.

Last Thursday, parents protested against the mask mandate outside UTLA.

Unsurprisingly, almost two-thirds of California voters supported mandatory mask and immunization requirements in K-12 schools.

"It is premature to talk removing these health and safety restrictions when there are still many unvaccinated youth in our early education programs and schools," UTLA has stated.

Read the Original Article at https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/l-a-teachers-union-agrees-to-drop-mask-mandate/