The push by the nation's second largest teacher union earlier this week to strike is part of a turbulent nation-wide discussion on the numerous conflicts facing school districts as they struggle with whether to delay re-opening and/or teach remotely. Part of the conflict is getting parents back to work while acknowledging that remote learning during the spring failed many students, increasing racial and income divides. Parents want to see more interactive, face-to-face learning, whether online, or in person, if safety is assured; meanwhile, unions also want to decrease the amount of time per day that teachers are forced to teach via video. Teachers have also been reluctant to return to work, despite feeling political pressure to do so in order to aid the economy. Parents have been sharply divided over whether to return their children to school, with a July poll showing that 60% of parents support delayed school re-openings, with Black and Latino parents being the most apprehensive.
See "Back to school quandary continues for teachers as unions also push for avoiding long remote sessions", Dana Goldstein and Eliza Shapiro, New York Times, July 31, 2020