El Paso, TX – On Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. local educators, school staff, unions and community organizations will lead a caravan and teach-in to advocate for an adequate COVID-19 safety plan at the YISD Administrative Offices, located at 9600 Sims Drive. The local action is in unity and solidarity with the nation-wide effort Demand Safe Schools to address schools inadequate COVID-19 related safety plans and protocols. Teachers and parents have been left out of the decision-making process. The teach-in includes testimonials grounded in health, safety, medical, psychological, and pedagogical factors on the impact of COVID-19, wherein equity and safety is promoted.
According to recent data, the County of El Paso ranks 48th of 50 counties in the United States with the highest COVID-19 infection rates; in addition to having a Latinx population that has a higher propensity of positivity rates. Additionally, Mayor Dee Margo has exercised his veto power on three occasions to decline the disclosure of COVID-19 “hotspots” in our city. Exacerbating the situation, area districts have not been forthcoming when disclosing infections at respective campuses, leaving our community to rely on media outlets for information.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 7, 2020 @ 5:30 p.m.
WHAT: Teach-In/Caravan for the Safe Reopening of Schools
WHERE: YISD Administrative Offices, located at 9600 Sims Drive
WHO: ALL the community who is concerned about the opening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic: local educators, staff, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians, parents, students, nurses, grassroots organizations, and unions.
WHY: We are uniting because we wish to ensure the safety of our education community and families during this COVID-19 pandemic
Participating Unions and Grassroots Organizations:
-Border Network for Human Rights
-Firefighters Union of El Paso
-El Paso Municipal Police Officers
-National Nurses Union of El Paso
-TSTA of El Paso
-The DSA of El Chuco
-El Paso Grassroots
-Sunrise El Paso
– El Paso Equal Voice Network
***This will be on weekly teach-in/caravan until we address every district in El Paso County. For more information contact us at caltonen21@gmail.com or xmiranda5@gmail.com. Also click on this link to read the goals of this movement https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EnfaypJbhDjCt6phGvcYYa-GFgpDXETV2vksjCQX1qU/ and share this link with others https://fb.me/e/1wY2XFVah
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Abriendo las escuelas de forma segura para la comunidadCUÁNDO: miércoles 7 de Octubre a las 5:30 de la tarde
QUÉ: Caravana y enseñanza pacífica para que las escuelas abran en una forma segura
DÓNDE: YISD Administrative Offices, located at 9600 Sims Drive
QUIÉN: TODA la comunidad que está preocupada por regresar a las escuelas durante una pandemia, (educadores locales, personal, conductores de autobuses, para profesionales, custodios, padres, estudiantes, enfermeras, organizaciones de base y sindicatos)
POR QUÉ: Nos unimos porque queremos garantizar la seguridad de nuestra comunidad educativa y de nuestras familias durante esta pandemia COVID-19.
Uniones participantes y organizaciones de base:
-Red Fronteriza para los Derechos Humanos
-Unión de Bomberos de El Paso
-Oficiales de la Policía Municipal de El Paso
-Unión Nacional de Enfermeras de El Paso
-La DSA de El Chuco
-TFCA de El Paso
-Sunrise El Paso
-El Paso Grassroots
-El Paso Equal Voice Network
