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Shaker Heights Teachers Association pens upset letter to school board following decision to return to the classrooms full-time

The group says that the school board has blatantly chosen to ignore their health and safety, as well as the Cuyahoga County Board of Health's recommendations.

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — In a new letter obtained by 3News, the Shaker Heights Teachers Association (SHTA) has requested the school district's board members to reconsider their recent decision to send students and teachers back into the classrooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"The Shaker Heights administration has gone back on its word to the teachers, students, parents, and community members of Shaker Heights," a release from the SHTA reads. "This community was assured time and time again over the summer that we would be following Cuyahoga County Board of Health Guidelines as it relates to the opening of our schools during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The group says that the board has not only ignored the Cuyahoga County Board of Health's recommendations and guidelines but that they also have not been as forthcoming as they could be with sharing of the "empirical data" considered in the making of the school board's decision. 

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The letter comes as Cuyahoga County inches towards 'Level 4' -- the highest level of cases-- by the Ohio Department of Health's standards. 

The SHTA also addressed a claim that was reportedly brought up during a recent meeting in which the board allegedly implied that parents and students planned to leave the district if in-person classes did not resume. 

"To use the rationale that residents are leaving the district as a reason for abandoning Cuyahoga County Board of Health guidelines exhibits deeply flawed and misguided thinking. Should we neglect the safety concerns of students in the district to appease those families who are threatening to leave," the group said.

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The association says that they are not asking for a complete shutdown, or even to not go back to school in person at all, but that they have requests that they believe would help to keep students, teachers, and staff safe inside school buildings. 

"We are not unreasonable. Our requests for plexiglass and air purifiers are not irrational or out of bounds. Many of our buildings are over one-hundred years old," the SHTA said in the letter. "We have abided by the assurances that the district gave us based on Cuyahoga County Board of Health Recommendations. We would welcome the opportunity to speak directly with the School Board members at their next meeting, so we can accurately represent our concerns."

You can read the full letter from the SHTA here.

Shaker Heights Teachers' Association added a new photo.

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