WASHINGTON—In response to the discovery of elevated lead levels in drinking water in Newark Public Schools, AFT leaders issued the following statements.
Statement from AFT President Randi Weingarten:
“Every student, educator and school employee in Newark deserves to know that the water in their schools is safe, and no parent should have to wonder if their child is being poisoned by the school water fountain. Mayor Baraka and the city of Newark have taken immediate measures to control the situation and ensure kids have access to clean drinking water in the interim, but a long-term solution must come from Gov. Christie and the state. I strongly support Sen. Bateman’s call for $20 million from the Clean Energy Fund and for immediate action to begin the work of removing lead from these schools.
“While the situation in Newark is less acute than the crisis in Flint, it is still dangerous for kids and everyone who works in these schools. Lead poisoning is a serious threat that can prevent children from reaching their full potential. We have seen similar cases in Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C., where measures were taken to repair or replace outdated infrastructure at the school level and communicate with parents to remedy the issue and ensure access to safe drinking water. We need similar action in Newark, and we need our elected leaders to address our growing infrastructure problem around the country to ensure our communities are safe from this threat.”
Statement from AFT New Jersey President Donna M. Chiera:
“The discovery of lead in the water in at least 30 Newark schools is troubling and calls for a series of short-term and long-range fixes. First, we need Gov. Christie to pay the same attention he pays to charter schools in Newark and set up free, on-site lead testing for students, especially children under 6 years old, and anyone else potentially impacted at each of the affected schools. Then, we need the state to move quickly to make the necessary upgrades to the systems to ensure clean, safe drinking water for our students, families and community. We can’t neglect our infrastructure and expect this type of problem to just go away.”
Statement from Ann Twomey, president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees, New Jersey’s largest union of nurses:
“Gov. Christie recently vetoed a bill designating funds to protect children from lead poisoning hazards in their homes. As healthcare professionals, we know the devastating impact of lead poisoning in young children and the long-lasting damage on their physical and mental well-being. Is the threat of having 30 schools contaminated with lead enough to get Gov. Christie’s attention? We urge the governor to provide the funding needed to protect children in Newark schools and throughout our state.”
Statement from Newark Teachers Union President John M. Abeigon:
“We are extremely concerned about how long our students and staff have been drinking that water. We are taking immediate measures to protect our students and educators and are providing bottled water and cups as teachers caring for our students, but we also need to safeguard the entire community and conduct an investigation to determine who knew what and when so that this never happens again.”
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The AFT represents 1.6 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.
