RIO RANCHO, N.M. – The head of a national teachers union is visiting New Mexico on Thursday as part of a nationwide campaign to convince parents that it’s safe to send their kids back to public school.
The effort comes as more parents voice concerns over mask mandates, saying they aren’t being given a choice as school boards adopt state and federal guidance on the matter.
The Albuquerque school board ended its meeting early Wednesday amid parents protesting and members of a rural school board in eastern New Mexico were suspended by state officials for deciding that masks would be optional this school year.
American Federation of Teacher President Randi Weingarten has said she believes masks are among the precautions that school districts can take to ensure students can safely return to in-person learning.
Weingarten had been criticized in recent weeks after some said she wavered on school reopenings after the reversal of federal officials on mask-wearing rules for vaccinated people.
Weingarten in recent days has stressed that the union’s goal is to get students back into the classroom in a safe way.
Weingarten was scheduled to meet with school officials in Rio Rancho on Thursday afternoon.
The Rio Rancho school board voted 3-2 this week to allow vaccinated secondary students the option of not wearing masks after they show proof of immunization.
New Mexico’s largest district – Albuquerque Public Schools – is requiring all students, employees and visitors to wear masks while inside, whether they are vaccinated or not. Santa Fe schools are requiring masks inside school buildings and on buses.
Weingarten’s trip to New Mexico is part of the union’s campaign to support vaccination clinics and encourage parents through billboards, advertisements, town halls and door-to-door visits that schools are safe. The work is funded by $5 million in grants.
New Mexico health officials on Thursday announced that nearly 40% of children ages 12 through 17 in the state have been fully vaccinated.
While the state’s overall vaccination rate is about 65%, officials said they are pleased that the rate is increasing among younger people.
To boost vaccinations, the state also is banking on another round of $100 incentives for people who get immunized.
