Teacher vaccine requirement unanimously approved by PPS board, now heads to union leaders

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers are working on an agreement which would require COVID-19 vaccines for teachers. Wednesday night, the PPS board voted unanimously to move forward with the requirement.

“I’m really happy and relieved to come to an agreement on this,” said board member Pam Harbin.

District Solicitor Ira Weiss said the “health and safety memorandum of understanding” is being discussed and he hopes it will be finalized in the next few days.

The agreement would require vaccines, and masking in all Pittsburgh Public Schools buildings would be mandatory. Any teacher who refuses a vaccine or has a medical or religious exemption would be subject to COVID-19 testing twice a week, Weiss said.

“The main goal is that once we get these kids back in school, they stay there and the district doesn’t have to keep shutting down and going back to remote learning,” Weiss said.

He said once the agreement is reached, the district will then reach out to the unions that oversee the other work groups in the district to try to negotiate a similar memorandum of understanding with them.

Weiss said the PFT leaders support the vaccine mandate. Union leader Nina Esposito-Visgitis said they spent Thursday fielding calls from concerned members about the new proposal.

Locally, the only other school to require vaccines is the Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh, whose board approved a mandatory vaccine policy on Aug. 18 with a 12-0 vote.

©2021 Cox Media Group