Orange County teachers union declares impasse on reopening plans

Teachers voice concerns about face-to-face learning

Some Orange County teachers and students will meet face-to-face in the classroom later this month, but educator still have some reservations about safety.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association has declared an impasse in regards to the district’s reopening plans.

Orange County Public Schools will be back in session on Monday, but only online. Then two weeks later, in-person classes will resume on campus for students that opted in for face-to-face learning. In the midst of planning, COVID-19 controversy continues.

“We don’t feel that the school district is prepared for safe reopening,” said Wendy Doromal, the president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.

The union represents more than 14,000 educators.

“We have teachers who are pregnant,” Doromal said. “We have teachers with newborns and small children. We have teachers who have health issues or their spouse or a loved one who they’re taking care of in their home has health issues.”

The teachers union said the school district has failed to implement all of the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including personal protection equipment (PPE) and more.

“Just this week, some teachers have returned to classes,” Doromal said. “They have not had the PPE, the disinfectant, the hand sanitizer, and other essential protections at their disposal. Classrooms are not configured to have more than a few people in the class and ensure social distancing. Our district is not one of the districts that has purchased desk screens for each desk or anything like that.”

By not reaching an agreement, the union has declared an impasse and is seeking legal action.

“We certainly would hope that we could work through the issues,” said Scott Howat, chief communications officer for Orange County Public Schools. “We’ve laid out very specific things in our procedures manual and other things we’re doing, so that will be resolved in time. Right now we’re just focused on making sure we’re serving the children and getting them what they need to get their education this year kicked off on the right foot.”

The next step in the impasse is for a special magistrate to make a decision. In the meantime, the union said they hope to continue bargaining with the school board.