Nearly 150 teachers with the Chandler Unified School District staged a one-day “sick out” earlier this month, demanding the district return to virtual learning after winter break./ABC 15 Screengrab
By Steve Irvin , Danielle Lerner , Karla Navarrete | ABC 5
The ABC15 education team has learned, hundreds of teachers in the Chandler and Gilbert Unified school districts are planning a sick out for next week, when students return to class.
Multiple sources say, as many as 600 teachers in Chandler, and 150 teachers in Gilbert will call out to protest district plans to return to in-person learning.
Right now, Arizona is setting records for cases, deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19. Doctors have warned, medical facilities could become overwhelmed as numbers continue to rise.
State guidelines recommend all schools return to virtual learning, based on current metrics.
Educators have been urging the governing boards in both districts to hold emergency meetings to re-evaluate their plans.
Chandler board member Lara Bruner confirmed with ABC15 today, she requested an emergency board meeting last week, but that request was denied.
