We continue to look at the state of school reopenings amid a surge in COVID-19 infections among children in the U.S. with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Weingarten, who had favored voluntary vaccinations for teachers, now backs a vaccine mandate for educators because the Delta variant “significantly changes the circumstances.” Weingarten notes that almost 90% of teachers represented by the American Federation of Teachers are already vaccinated, saying it’s time to stop “scapegoating” teachers for the challenges in reopening schools. “The teachers in the country understand the importance of being back in school and the importance of vaccinations,” she says.
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