SACRAMENTO — Following the announcement earlier today by Governor Newsom that the state of California is implementing a vaccine requirement for all K-12 school staff and students, CFT President Jeff Freitas released the following statement: 

“CFT believes that vaccines are essential to ensuring that our students, school workers, and communities are safe. We know that in-person instruction is best for our students, and that vaccines are the most important safeguard to prevent serious illness from COVID-19 infection.

“In a recent poll conducted by CFT, we found that an incredible 89% of CFT members are already vaccinated against COVID-19. We also found that 79% of CFT members support a vaccine mandate for all school staff, with 75% also supporting a vaccine mandate for students. 

“This supermajority of support underscores just how much CFT members understand the safety of vaccines and the protection they offer to our school communities.

“We look forward to working with Governor Newsom, state health and education officials, and our local school districts as they implement a vaccine requirement for our schools. We will work to ensure our members continue to have a voice at the state and local level to address the impacts of any new policies. We will also continue to advocate for other essential safety mitigation strategies, including mask requirements, ventilation upgrades, and regular testing in schools.”

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CFT — A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals represents 120,000 teachers, faculty, and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the AFT, AFL-CIO.