Teachers' unions across the country have expressed concerns about returning to in-person learning without proper COVID-19 safety protocols, despite how many health authorities and politicians are calling for a full return to in-person learning.

Leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union recently resolved a week-long standoff with city officials after a new COVID-19 safety plan was approved. Classes had been canceled for four straight days amid concerns about surging COVID-19 cases and a lack of access to tests. Many teachers' unions are also saying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has been facing bipartisan criticism for "confusing" COVID-19 protocols, has not been "communicating well enough with educators."

Left-rated voices were more likely to criticize the effectiveness of COVID-related government regulations, with one writer arguing that the Chicago Teachers' Union always wanted to return to in-person learning but "the city’s lackluster pandemic safety" prevented that. Bloomberg's (Lean Left bias) editorial board believes Democrats need to "break the grip" of teachers' unions on the public school system." Right-rated voices have long criticized teachers' unions for using "political clout to stifle innovations that could improve U.S. education." One opinion piece from Fox News (Right bias) argued that funding students directly "would empower families to access educational alternatives" and that more data will soon reveal "the academic, social, and emotional costs" of virtual learning for young children.