On March 9th, the Georgia Federation of Teachers welcomed educators from various metro Atlanta school districts for the Active Violence Emergency Response Training (A.V.E.R.T.).

Teachers, Office Staff, Healthcare Professionals, and Administrators were given live scenario exercises and experienced hands-on practice, instructing them on how to recognize warning signs and be situationally aware. They learned how to defend and attack, escape and evade, how to equip the space they are in, and control bleeding in an emergency.

8 lucky participants received a Tac-Pac (recommended for controlling

In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

The CDC has released new COVID-19 guidelines, including updating its guidance for schools ahead of the new year. A safe and welcoming learning environment is crucial for everyone’s safety. 

This link is a summary and some basics    More information is forthcoming.   

What stays:

• Equity Focus: Schools play a critical role in promoting equity in learning and health, particularly for groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Equity issues need to be considered in all decision-making and decisions and there needs to be equitable access to vaccination, testing, masks and respirators

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