MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) – As schools across Wisconsin try to finalize plans for fall instruction, several teacher organizations don't want to be back in the classroom right away. Instead, there is a growing call to begin the school year virtually.

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Tanya Kitts-Lewinski is president of the Kenosha Education Association and doesn't want to start this school year like the last one ended: unorganized.

“We would prefer to be no other place but the classroom with our students,” Kitts-Lewinski said. “We miss them terribly, but we have to have a safe return.”

Kitts-Lewinski said the number of COVID-19 cases is simply too high to go back to school, especially in districts serving students and families of color.

“In most of our counties, the cases are continuing to surge and we're also a state that has the second-fewest restrictions in place in order to try to get this virus under control, and so we are calling on state leaders to take the lead here,” Kitts-Lewinski said.

In a Monday morning letter to Gov. Tony Evers, State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor, and Health Secretary-Designee Andrea Palm, the presidents of five urban teacher unions in Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine called for a virtual start to the school year.

Reopening Letter From Coalition of Urban Education Associations by Anthony DaBruzzi on Scribd


Together, they represent more than 10,000 public education workers and more than 160,000 students.

President of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association Amy Mizialko said even though the State Supreme Court struck down Wisconsin's 'Safer at Home' order, the Department of Health can still come up with a statewide plan for schools.

“We believe that Secretary Palm retains the authority to assert a safe, virtual start for school districts across Wisconsin and we believe that it is the responsible thing to do and we believe that is her—she needs to step up,” Mizialko said.

The Department of Public Instruction said it has no authority to require virtual instruction.

In June, the agency issued a plan called Education Forward, which gives districts guidance as they make decisions about reopening in the fall.