Mansfield Educators Association Raises Concerns With Return Plans

MANSFIELD, MA — The Mansfield Educators Association (MEA) has raised concerns with the district's decision to resume full in-person learning for kindergarten students starting March 1.

The educators released a statement ahead of the reopening, saying that Mansfield Public Schools disregarded their concerns that returning the cohort to full in-person learning will not allow for coordinated planning with remote students or building cleanings.

“Educators are eager to work with their students in the classroom, but we are disappointed that the district would not agree to keeping one half day in the schedule to allow for coordinated planning necessary to meet the needs of students who choose to remain in remote-learning plans and to allow for buildings to be adequately cleaned,” said MEA President Scott Cohen in a statement.

The teachers' union said the district "failed to treat educators with the respect they deserve" by implementing the return schedule without taking the concerns of the MEA into consideration, especially since union members have spent the last year trying to ensure that the needs of the students are begin met despite the circumstances of the pandemic.

Although the MEA would like to see educators receive the COVID-19 vaccine before the district returns to full in-person learning, they have agreed to a phased approach that allows for other safety precautions.

“The district will need to be willing to bargain with the MEA over the continued transition to full in-person learning," said Cohen. "The more students that we bring back, the more issues arise that relate to maintaining the health and safety of students, school staff, and our community."