February 2021

Advocacy from charter leaders has helped expedite teacher vaccinations! On February 10, Governor Cooper announced that teachers would be prioritized in the next round of COVID vaccinations. This decision follows advocacy from the state’s charter and other K-12 leaders. And it comes on the heels of the Governor’s recent recommendation that schools re-open for in-person learning. In fact, numerous N.C. charter schools are already open for in-person learning.

The push: prioritize our teachers

On February 4, in partnership with Rhonda Dillingham of the North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools, the Coalition’s executive director, Lindalyn Kakadelis, sent a joint vaccine letter to Gov. Cooper and DHHS Sec. Mandy Cohen. The ask: Prioritize vaccinations for all public K-12 educators. The letter urged that charter and district educators be vaccinated in the first wave of Group 3 (frontline essential workers).

The very good news: This is now scheduled to happen.

The letter to Gov. Cooper and Sec. Cohen noted:

“Earlier this week, you and other state leaders called on more schools around the state to open for in-person learning. As advocates for the state’s public charter school community, we support this worthwhile goal. The pandemic and related school closures have resulted in devastating lost learning opportunities for North Carolina’s students.

However, we must also ensure that charter and other public K-12 educators receive their vaccinations as quickly as possible, so they can safely and reliably perform their essential roles in person. While educators are committed to doing their part and continuing to follow established public health protocols, they should be able to do so knowing that the state is striving to prioritize their health and safety by expediting their vaccinations.”

Eligibility for teacher vaccinations opens February 24.

February 4, 2021

Governor Roy Cooper

North Carolina Office of the Governor

20301 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC  27699-0301

 

Secretary Mandy Cohen

Office of the Secretary

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

2001 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-2000

Dear Governor Cooper and Secretary Cohen:

We write to you on behalf of North Carolina’s 201 public charter schools, and the thousands of teachers, administrators, and support staff who serve charter students every day. Along with their peers in district schools, charter educators are working tirelessly to teach students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Already, some have lost their lives to the virus. The NC charter community grieves, like so many others.

As they seek to enter or re-enter their classrooms, our teachers must be armed with maximum protection against the virus. In keeping with this goal, we ask you to expedite vaccinations for North Carolina’s public K-12 educators.

We understand that K-12 educators, as frontline essential workers, are already scheduled to be vaccinated as part of Group 3, following the Group 1 and Group 2 vaccinations that are currently underway. However, we request that you prioritize, within Group 3, those frontline essential workers who do their jobs in the public sphere, vaccinating them in Part A, or the first wave, of Group 3. This would encompass expediting Group 3 vaccinations for all public frontline workers, such as teachers, school administrators, K-12 support staff, police officers, and first responders. The second wave, or Part B, of the Group 3 vaccinations could be allocated to frontline essential workers in the private sector.

Earlier this week, you and other state leaders called on more schools around the state to open for in-person learning. As advocates for the state’s public charter school community, we support this worthwhile goal. The pandemic and related school closures have resulted in devastating lost learning opportunities for North Carolina’s students.

However, we must also ensure that charter and other public K-12 educators receive their vaccinations as quickly as possible, so they can safely and reliably perform their essential roles in person. While educators are committed to doing their part and continuing to follow established public health protocols, they should be able to do so knowing that the state is striving to prioritize their health and safety by expediting their vaccinations.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

Lindalyn Kakadelis

Executive Director

North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

704-231-9767

Rhonda Dillingham

Executive Director

North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools

336-669-9996

 

cc:        Superintendent Catherine Truitt

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

 

Chairman Eric Davis

North Carolina State Board of Education

 

Mr. Dave Machado

Director, North Carolina Office of Charter Schools