Following the press conference with the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, School Board member Abrar Omeish spoke to WUSA 9 and said schools would be held to strict sanitizing guidelines to make sure students and staff stayed safe.
"It’s a very controlled set of folks and it’s going to be done with all the best practice measures and sanitation," she said. "It’s a slow phase-in. There’s a reason for that. It allows us to roll back should there be any reason to be concerned.”
Read MoreBraddock District Representative Megan McLaughlin voted against adopting the amendment. Rachna Sizemore Heizer, Abrar Omeish, and Karen Keys-Gamarra, the board’s three at-large members, abstained after raising concerns about a lack of flexibility for handling Title IX cases based on students’ varying needs or circumstances.
"Staff members should not have to decide between protecting their family and keeping their jobs," said Emily Vanderhoff, a first-grade teacher and union leader.
Abrar Omeish, an at-large school board member said she is also worried about losing teachers.
The board resolution called for the superintendent to give data on the number of teachers who might resign if they're forced to return to school buildings — and suggested teachers with vulnerable family members might be able to take a leave of absence.
Whereas, this Country is currently in the throes of a catastrophic public health crisis; and
Whereas, this emergency has led to massive job losses due to the Country’s response to that crisis; and
Whereas, millions of Americans have lost their healthcare insurance because of those job losses at a time when healthcare is needed most; and
Read MoreWhile the decision is ultimately Brabrand's, some school board members say they have wanted this all along.
"The board itself has been conflicted since the beginning. Some of us have felt, including myself, that the virtual option is preferred as a start," school board member Abrar Omeish said.
Families and teachers were told to choose between either an all-virtual learning plan or a plan that combined in-person learning with distance learning.
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