Educators across the world, and specifically the U.S., are still being asked to gather in-person for standardized testing, whether or not their classrooms have been completely virtual since the pandemic. The concern throughout the globe is the government’s inability to implement and uphold the necessary measures to protect the lives of educators, students, and their families. This lack of protection has led to countless and entirely preventable deaths throughout the school system.

To fight against this demand, high school American Government and Economics teacher, Alfred "Shivy" Brooks of Atlanta Georgia, supported by educators across the nation, 100+ celebrities, teachers unions, and community leaders, is hosting "National Day Without Teachers" sick-out on Tuesday, December 15th, where teachers will not be logging into virtual learning or attending in-person classes. Shivy has been teaching his Clayton County students virtually, but he has been mandated to return in-person to proctor standardized testing, even with three of his students currently testing positive for COVID-19.

This isn't Shivy's story alone: this is the reality for thousands of teachers across the country. Teachers for Good Trouble are educators focused on reforming schools to build safe, nurturing, and justice driven school communities by eliminating standardized testing as a tool to measure performance during a pandemic.

We have a three-tiered approach in our demand for our school communities. First and foremost, we seek immediate reformation of the current state assessment process, including no standardized testing during the pandemic. Secondly, we demand that the physical, mental, and emotional health of our school communities be the driving force behind all system-wide policy decisions. Finally, we demand full transparency and inclusion regarding all fiscal, academic, and health-related policy developments.