Pennsylvania State Education Association President Rich Askey recently asked, in a letter, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera to direct the state’s public schools to begin planning for the delivery of online instruction if the continued spread of COVID-19 makes opening schools for in-person instruction unsafe for students, educators and their families.

“In public education, planning is paramount to providing the very best instruction for our students. That is why it is absolutely essential that every public school entity in Pennsylvania is prepared to deliver online instruction,” Askey said. “I ask that you use your executive authority to direct school entities that have not already developed plans for online instruction to work with their local education associations and develop thorough, complete and well-reasoned online instruction models.”

Askey emphasized educators and support professionals want to return to school and be with their students in person.

“Unfortunately, an increasing number of Pennsylvania educators and parents are concerned that reopening schools for in-person instruction poses significant health risks that, in the current environment, may be impossible to completely prevent,” he said.