Brookline Teachers Rally About Social Distancing Rules

BROOKLINE, MA — Members of the Brookline Educators Union and supporters are planning to rally Tuesday evening in an effort to draw attention to their strike.

According to union leader Jessica Wender-Shubow, teachers stood out in front of the Brookline High School with signs in an effort to call for safe working conditions.

"The BEU is seeking contract language that follows local, state and federal COVID-19 prevention guidelines that call for 6 feet of social distancing in schools," said Wender-Shubow.

Although the union said the Brookline School Committee reneged on its original commitment to social distancing policies based on prevailing scientific guidance, school committee chair Suzanne Federspiel denied this.

She said the district is currently practicing 6-feet of distance in classrooms, and has been since they began the in-person portion of school.

"That is in effect now. We are doing it," Federspiel said. "Superintendent Marini is very committed to the 6 foot distancing, and we will continue to do that."

Wender-Shubow said that during bargaining related to the pandemic working conditions the school committee members took language out of the agreement that would have teachers commit to 6 feet distancing for the foreseeable future. But the school committee officials said they're just thinking ahead to when a vaccine becomes available and things change.

The union said if the pandemic situations changes, they can renegotiate. The union voted to strike on Nov. 3, which is a scheduled professional development day when students would not be given instruction.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .