The local teachers’ union (NEAB, National Education Association Barrington) is expected to hold a special meeting this Thursday afternoon to vote on the school district's new vaccine booster requirement. 

According to an email shared with Barrington teachers, the union leadership team has been meeting with the Barrington School Committee and district administrators and their legal counsel to discuss the implementation of a vaccine booster requirement. The email states that the union leadership reached a tentative agreement on the issue, and that NEARI legal counsel has requested the local teachers union hold a meeting with the general membership to vote on the tentative agreement. 

Details of the agreement have not been disclosed.

A little more than half of the union membership is required to be present for a quorum to be achieved and a vote to be held. 

“This meeting is about saving jobs,” stated the email. “If you want to ensure that your friends, colleagues and work mates continue to be employed, you must make time to be present on Thursday afternoon.”

Appeal hearing explanation

In an email, Barrington School Committee Chairwoman Gina Bae explained why the district insists on holding a hearing about three fired teachers in a vritual forum, rather than in person.

The three Barrington teachers were fired after officials denied their requests for religious exemptions to the district's vaccine mandate. A post-termination appeal hearing for the teachers was scheduled for Thursday — but Barrington School Committee members have requested that the hearing be held online and not in-person. 

According to the teachers’ attorney, the attorney for the school committee said there are some school committee members who are in contact with vulnerable individuals and are concerned about holding an in-person hearing with a large number of unvaccinated people in attendance who won’t wear their masks properly. 

When asked the school committee's objection to meeting in person, Ms. Bae wrote: 

“We are following CDC guidance regarding school operations and meetings of adults inside. The guidance is different for each situation. School operations occur under controlled environments with the CDC providing robust guidelines and recommendations for mitigation measures (spacing, masks, etc.) that we currently implement. The current rate of infection in RI continues to be high (though improving) at 503.8 cases per 100,000 in the last 7 days. Public meetings are not able to guarantee such controlled and mitigated spaces. The School Committee is still able to provide a fair hearing virtually while also enabling all participants to engage in a safe manner.”