Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1419056
U P F R O N T L E T U S K N O W W H A T Y O U T H I N K . We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and cta.org/educator. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have permissions. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for educators California is aligned with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recommending booster shots for educators who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. Along with educators and other frontline workers, the CDC recom- mends boosters for people 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, and people ages 18-64 with underlying medical conditions. Get the booster at your local pharmacy or find a clinic and make an appointment at myturn.ca.gov. More information is at the California Department of Public Health (cdph.ca.gov) and the CDC (cdc.gov). California: COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students On Oct. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to require the COVID- 19 vaccine for students to attend in-person public and private schools, at the start of the term after the FDA fully approves the vaccine for their grade span (K-6 and 7-12). " Vaccinations are key for student and educator safety and keeping our schools open for in-person instruc- tion," said CTA President E. Toby Boyd in a statement supporting the mandate. The California Department of Public Health will seek public comment before setting rules for exemptions. More on page 32. School Furniture an Equity Issue I taught for 18 years before retiring in 2017. During all those years, my kids had to sit in ancient plastic chairs that couldn't slide on the floor and had cracks in the seats that would pinch their bottoms! The desks were old and had been height-adjusted so many times the legs were no longer even. No desks were at the same height as other desks, so there was no flat surface for table groups to work on projects. Each year I would ask for chairs and desks, only to be told there was no money for "furniture." Even when the rooms were renovated, the same terrible chairs and desks were brought back. The teacher 's desk was bad, but I would just line the filthy drawers with construction paper. I had to provide my own desk chair, taking it home over the summer so it didn't disappear. Through the years we got computer labs, rolling carts with iPads and laptops. Extra teachers were hired to help second language learners and struggling students. We were sent to lots of trainings; new curriculum was purchased many times. But never was any furniture purchased. My school has one of the lowest- income populations in our district. I learned from other teachers in higher- income schools that they did not have a furniture problem. How can kids feel valued in shabby desks and chairs that pinch their behinds? Equity is still a big problem in poor and nonwhite schools. MARILYN BURKS CTA/NEA-Retired I was dismayed to find the Educator wrapped in plastic. As an educator and human on this planet, I am very concerned about the pervasive use of single-use plastics and consider it my duty to educate my students about its destructive effects on our environment. Please consider elimi- nating plastic in future issues. JULIET JAMSHEED United Teachers of Richmond I find it ironic that CTA is undermin- ing one of the major tenets of my educational practice, which is that we must teach about and prevent the destruction of our planet through excessive use of fossil fuels and plastics. Please, please, please stop this packaging. It is so damaging to the world around us. MICHELLE LEVERSEE Campbell High School Teachers Association Environmental Fail Editor's note: The August/September issue was packaged with CTA membership cards in plastic bags. We heard what members had to say. 3 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 21