The Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) released a statewide poll of educators Monday on the safety measures they want at schools before they reopen.
The poll says that more than 95% of Maryland educators want to see safety measures like adequate ventilation, PPE and increased sanitation before schools physically reopen.
Cheryl Bost, MSEA president and a Baltimore County teacher, said these are basic safety measures that educators have been asking for since summer.
“We continue to see school systems underfunded and ill-equipped to do what it takes to keep educators, students and families safe,” Bost said at a press conference Monday afternoon.
The poll also says 77% of educators think it’s unlikely that schools will be able to safely and fully reopen for in-person learning in the next several months.
Bost said the state needs to be transparent with educators, and noted that COVID-19 cases in the country are on the rise.
“Their current approach is not right and not helping us to be safe,” she said.