Teachers union president Randi Weingarten praises return to remote learning

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers union, praised Newark Public Schools in New Jersey for switching back to remote learning after the Christmas break.

"Because of the omicron transmission rates, and the number of educators who tested positive last week Newark Public Schools reverting to remote for 2 weeks. They don’t have enough staff," Weingarten said on Twitter.

Remote learning will begin Monday, January 3 and will continue through Jan. 14. Students are expected to be back in classrooms on January 18. The decision was made despite overwhelming data showing that remote learning was inadequate and that prolonged school closures led to an exponential increase in anxiety, depression and even suicide in students.

Social media pundits immediately jumped on the post as a reminder of the early COVID shutdown promise of "two weeks to flatten the curve."

Previously, the union was busted for lobbying and influencing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines on reopening schools.

Newark Public Schools District Superintendent Roger Leon said he made the decision in consultation with the Newark Health Department as a result spikes and surges in COVID-19.

The announcement  came despite Newark schools returning to in-person instruction in September after having  implementing procedures and protocols aimed to mitigate the spread of the virus.

According to The Tornado News, 100 percent of the district's executive staff, 90 percent of school administrators, 91 percent of instructional support staff, 88 percent of classroom teachers, and 75 percent of non-instructional staff are vaccinated.

Additionally, over 83 percent of students 12 years and older in Newark are vaccinated as well.

Prior to Thanksgiving, the district asked students and parents  to prepare for the possibility of remote instruction at the start of the new year.