BURLINGAME — California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd issued the following statement in response to the recent safety guidelines for K-12 schools issued by the California Department of Public Health:

“We know this pandemic is not over, but due to the availability of vaccines and multiple safety measures put into place and practice, as well as the roadmap provided by science-based guidance, school communities are in a good position to ensure safe in-person instruction for students this fall. As CTA has said all along, learning happens best in-person and educators want to be with their students in classrooms.

“The guidance of multi-layered safety measures, recognition of local health conditions, robust testing and vaccines for educators and all eligible students remains key to continuing to prioritize a healthy and safe learning environment.  We urge local school districts to use school sites as community vaccination centers and to continue working with educators, parents and the school community in developing safety protocols. Continued indoor masking as a safety precaution, especially when physical distancing cannot be guaranteed, is critical to opening our schools safely for in-person instruction in the fall.”

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.