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MTA Board calls on governor and DESE to require masks in schools and colleges
MTA Board calls on governor and DESE to require masks in schools and colleges
The Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Board of Directors unanimously voted on Aug. 1 to support the mandatory use of face coverings in public schools from preK through higher education as part of a multi-pronged strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The New Business Item voted on by the board calls on Gov. Charlie Baker to:
- Implement a mandatory mask requirement for staff and students in preK through higher education.
- Increase efforts to vaccinate students who are eligible.
- Provide access to free and regular in-school COVID testing.
- Provide funding to continue to repair ventilation systems in public schools and colleges.
The Board also calls on the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue new guidance that includes universal mask use and other health and safety measures based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, both of which say masks should be worn in schools regardless of vaccination status.
Read the full NBI here.
The MTA board took action on this health and safety matter as COVID-19 cases rise, particularly with the spread of the delta variant and its link to breakthrough infections of fully vaccinated individuals.