Two weeks ago, Campbell called for Boston to dedicate vaccination sites for teachers and school staff and pushed the State to immediately prioritize teachers for vaccines
BOSTON – March 3, 2021 – Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate Andrea Campbell is renewing her call for a “Teacher Vaccination Week” after Governor Baker this morning announced that teachers and school staff will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations starting March 11th.
“I am thrilled that starting March 11, educators and school staff can get vaccinated, and that our vision for a Teacher Vaccination Week in Boston is possible,” said Councilor Campbell. “This is a huge step toward safely reopening our schools and our City, and happened due to the grassroots efforts pushing for teacher vaccinations.”
On February 16th, Councilor Campbell called for immediate prioritization of teachers for vaccinations and for the City of Boston to plan for a Teacher Vaccination Week after the CDC released guidance for reopening schools that encouraged, but did not mandate, teacher vaccinations as a prerequisite for opening schools. Councilor Campbell believes vaccinating teachers is critically important to protecting the health and safety of educators, students, and families as schools reopen to more students. Her plan to hold a series of mass vaccination events for teachers in Boston would guarantee that enough teachers would be vaccinated for schools to safely reopen and truly give families a choice in whether to send their child back in-person. Campbell believes that before the end of this school year, every child and family in Boston should have the ability to choose whether they go back to school in-person, with hybrid and fully remote models existing for those who do not.
“Many Boston families are desperate for their children to return to in-person learning, and I believe it’s critical that all families have the opportunity to do so – safely – before the end of this school year,” Campbell said. “We also need to make sure that our teachers’ health and safety is protected, which is why I’m calling for a Teacher Vaccination Week in the City of Boston.”
In this morning’s press conference, Gov. Baker said the state will designate certain days at mass vaccination sites for teachers and school staff.
About Andrea Campbell:
Andrea Campbell is running for Mayor to bring Boston together to break cycles of inequity and injustice, and to give every Bostonian a chance to succeed.
As a Boston City Councilor representing District 4, which includes large sections of Dorchester and Mattapan, as well as pieces of Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, Campbell has focused on closing generational inequities in our City, whether in a criminal justice system that is unjust, a school system that under-serves communities of color, or one of the worst racial wealth gaps in America.
Campbell served as Deputy Legal Counsel in Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, working to create more equitable systems and deliver progressive change to communities across the Commonwealth. In 2015, Campbell defeated a 32-year incumbent to become the first woman and second-ever District 4 City Councilor.
Since then, Campbell has been a leader for equity, justice, and opportunity for all in Boston. As the first Black woman to serve as Boston City Council President, she championed an agenda that put racial equity at the top of Boston’s priority list. For years, she’s led the fight to reform our police and criminal legal systems and pushed our City and school leaders to act urgently to provide a quality public education to every student.
Campbell launched her campaign for mayor on September 24th, 2020 outside her childhood home in Roxbury.
Contact: press@andreacampbell.org, Tel: 978-505-9799
