ALBANY, N.Y. March 13, 2020 — New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement calling for the closure of schools in counties with confirmed cases of the coronavirus:
“With the coronavirus continuing to spread, we are calling on state and local health and school officials to take decisive action and proactively close all schools in counties where there are confirmed cases of this virus.
“As schools close, local school district officials must remain in close contact with not only educators, but also appropriate social service agencies and other organizations that know best how to provide education, free meals, mental health services and other critical resources that many children in every corner of the state need during a shutdown period. All of these resources — from learning materials to food — must be provided in an equitable way that meets the needs of every student in a school district regardless of their age, economic status and where they live. We will continue to stay in contact with officials at every level to ensure our children receive everything they need during this time.”
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.