On January 12, 2021, educators and support personnel represented by more than 10 Labor Unions urged leaders in the Washington metropolitan area to continue distance learning and develop a unified approach to reopening schools as part of the National Day of Resistance. With reopening efforts so varied, it has been hard on parents and school employees who struggle with child-care needs and financial uncertainty. The educators and support personnel worry that a hasty return in one district could threaten the well-being of another, given how intertwined the Washington metropolitan area is.

“The lack of a coordinated plan among the many school districts in the region is creating instability and unnecessary anxiety," the teachers unions said in a joint letter.

We cannot afford disparate and inconsistent approaches to reopening school facilities.