Jul 21, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2021
CEA Statement on Updated Colorado COVID-19 School Guidance
DENVER, CO – On Tuesday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released updated COVID-19 guidelines for schools for the 2021-22 school year. The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“It is our steadfast belief that the best way to educate students is through in-person instruction and our number one priority from day one of the pandemic has been to ensure that effective safety mitigation strategies are in place for students and educators to ensure safe and healthy working and learning conditions. While the CDPHE guidance recommends protocols to that end, it is now up to local county leaders to put those protocols and measures into place to help keep students, families, and education staff safe.
“It is our hope and expectation that when local county or school district leaders are crafting these mitigation protocols, they will seek the counsel of educators; the professionals who are with students all day, every day. Educators are on the front lines of this and their expertise is critical to any planning that will take place for the 2021-22 school year. We will continue to call on elected officials to provide every Colorado student and educator, no matter what zip code they live in, a safe and welcoming place to learn and work.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Mar 10, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2021
CEA President Baca-Oehlert:
The American Rescue Plan Passes Congress, Awaits Pres. Biden’s Signature
Legislation will provide much needed financial relief to schools
DENVER, CO – Today, the United States Congress passed the American Rescue Plan COVID-19 relief package, which will next head to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“Today’s passage of the American Rescue Plan means Colorado students, educators and schools will have the additional financial support they have desperately needed since last year. The projected $1.7 billion dollars earmarked for Colorado schools and higher education will help school districts keep our students and educators safe, enable us to meet the needs of students, and will also help lift thousands of the most vulnerable Colorado families out of poverty. The rescue dollars will also provide much needed support and resources for higher education in Colorado.
“Colorado educators advocated for this historic legislation, and we applaud its passage. This financial relief will go a long way in supporting families and keeping students and educators safe as we continue to educate students in a pandemic and build a better future for all students in Colorado, especially our most vulnerable students and students of color.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Feb 12, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2021
CEA President Amie Baca-Oehlert:
New CDC guidelines are a good first step, now investment must be made to make it happen
Students and educators deserve all the resources they need to ensure a safe in-person learning environment
DENVER, CO – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new operational strategy guide for K-12 schools to help communities move toward the safe delivery of in-person instruction.
The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“Today’s new CDC guidelines confirm what we’ve been saying for the past year: in-person instruction is best but safety has to be the number one priority for both students and educators. While the new CDC guidelines are a good first step, every community must commit to containing the spread of the virus and schools need to be provided the resources they need to keep classrooms open, staffed and safe. Parents need predictability when it comes to switching learning environments, if the need arises.
“Finally, every public school should be a safe place for students and school staff, no matter what neighborhood it serves. Now that we have clearer CDC guidance, state and local decision makers need to be able to look educators, students, and parents in the eyes and guarantee that safety is of the utmost concern while we work collaboratively to ensure a safe return to in-person learning.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Jan 29, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2021
Statement from Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association (CEA), on Educators Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines Beginning Feb. 8:
“We want to thank Gov. Polis for listening to the voices of educators on COVID-19 safety in schools. For the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to take a tremendous toll on educators, students, and their families. While we believe that ALL essential workers should be a priority for the COVID-19 vaccine, this is a gigantic step toward our longstanding goal of getting our students back into classrooms, where the best learning takes place.
“Especially with more contagious variants of the virus, we still have work to do in order to return to classrooms with as much uninterrupted learning as possible. We call on communities to commit to lowering the spread of COVID-19 by everyone doing the simple stuff like wearing masks, washing hands, social distancing and limiting gatherings. Our goal has always been to be back in classrooms with our students but all of us need to do our part to make every public school a safe place for students and school staff, no matter what neighborhood it serves.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is a membership-based organization that represents 39,000 Colorado educators. The CEA promise to our students and communities is that the members of the Association will lead the way in guaranteeing every student access to the best public education. By working collectively with all education stakeholders, we will provide the best public education for every student and assure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Jan 29, 2021 | Legal Update
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