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This page offers all of Delaware Public Media's ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is affecting the First State. Check here regularly for the latest new and information.

Cape Henlopen teachers union votes no confidence in reopening plan

Delaware Public Media

Teachers in the Cape Henlopen School District say they doubt the district’s plan to reopen safely.

Classes start this week and the district is rolling out a hybrid reopening plan with a combination of remote and in-person learning, but the Cape Henlopen Education Association teacher’s union voted last week to take a position of no confidence in the plan and its timeline.

Union President Lacey Brown says the vote is not about teachers not wanting to go back to work.  

“This vote of no confidence is really about implementing the safety for our students. And we want to see our students as educators. We miss them, but we want to keep them safe too and that’s our job.”  

The district’s hybrid model allows elementary school students to choose a remote option. Middle and High School students will attend in-person classes in cohorts with remote learning scheduled for certain days during the week.

Brown lists mask breaks, school ventilation systems and three feet social distancing rules as opposed to six as areas of concern.

Cape Henlopen Superintendent Bob Fulton issued a statement saying he was “extremely disappointed” in the union’s position and that he feels “incredibly confident” in the district’s reopening plan.

He points out the two votes taken by the union resulted in less than half of their members supporting the position, and that the vote represents only 19% of the district’s total staff.

Brown says both of the votes were entirely anonymous and there’s no way of telling who from the union voted and who didn’t.

“It’s not about wanting to have a rift with the district,” said Brown. “This is about bringing concerns and deficiencies to light so they can get fixed before students [sic] start attending school.”  

A senior at Cape Henlopen High School also recently filed a civil rights lawsuit against the school, claiming the hybrid learning plan leaves behind students that opt for virtual learning.