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Arkansas Teachers Ask Lawmakers To Use Virtual Classrooms For Reopening Schools

Courtesy: Chuck Smith / Red River Radio News
Credit Courtesy: Chuck Smith / Red River Radio News
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Courtesy: Chuck Smith / Red River Radio News

CONCERNS OVER  REOPENING -  A lot of schools are scheduled to reopen in a few weeks and in Arkansas- it’s August 24th.  However not everyone is on board with that start date. During a meeting of the Arkansas legislative Education Caucus in Little Rock yesterday members of the Arkansas Education Association -- told state lawmakers it is unsafe for schools to return to in-person learning as Arkansas continues to struggle to limit the spread of the coronavirus.  Carol Fleming is the president of the AEA.

"We are simply not ready to reopen schools to on-site, in-person instruction statewide," Fleming said.

Fleming asked state lawmakers to join the AEA’s call for education officials to begin the 20-21 school year with virtual only instruction as a way to keep students, teachers, parents, and the community safe from Covid-19 spread.  The AEA has the support of  Members of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of 

Carol Fleming is president for the Arkansas Education Association.
Credit Courtesy: AEA Facebook
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Courtesy: AEA Facebook
Carol Fleming is president for the Arkansas Education Association.

Pediatrics and is basing their request on CDC reopening guidelines.  But Governor Asa Hutchinson maintains that precautions are being taken to reopen schools for in-person instruction and during his Covid-19 update yesterday was asked about the AEA’s request.

"We're having the opposite approach which is let's start school in-classroom instruction," Hutchinson explained. "Let's do everything we can to be successful and if we have to adjust down the road in individual school districts, we will do that."

The Arkansas Education Association is the largest teacher’s union in the state and  cited a recent  survey saying 90 percent of the more than 6,000 respondents did not favor in-school teaching.

The largest teachers union in Arkansas says schools are not ready to reopen for in-person instruction and instead have asked lawmakers for virtual classrooms for reopening.

Copyright 2020 Red River Radio

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' experience to Red River Radio having started out as a radio news reporter and moving into television journalism as a newsmagazine producer / host, talk-show moderator, programming director and managing producer and news director / anchor for commercial, public broadcasting and educational television. He has more recently worked in advertising, marketing and public relations as a writer, video producer and media consultant. In pursuit of higher learning, Chuck studied Mass Communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.