BURLINGAME – California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd, a kindergarten educator, released the following statement in response to Monday’s COVID-19 update:

“CTA remains committed to the safety of students, educators and families in our local communities. We need to continue to follow the science and look at local transmission rates and hospitalizations in guiding COVID-19 decisions. Some communities continue to be impacted more than others. We support the administration’s decision to pause and gather more information to make a science-based decision on school masking that responds to this moment in the pandemic and helps the state transition with an eye on equity. We will continue to assess state and local conditions over the next two weeks, just as local school districts and communities assess their own needs. CTA supports local decisions that prioritize the safety of our communities. We know that masking, strong testing programs and having good school ventilation systems in place have been key to ensuring the stability of in-person teaching and learning. We recognize that any changes will disrupt and destabilize school communities. Consistent testing programs provide transparency and can help build confidence as new guidance is introduced. We continue to encourage all students and adults who are eligible to get vaccinated and booster shots. As much as we all want this pandemic to be over, we are not out of the woods yet.”

– E. Toby Boyd

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