‘For Once We’re Asking for MORE Testing’: organisational infrastructure in the safe schools movement during COVID-19

This article explores organisational infrastructure in the movement for safe schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on several qualitative studies of educator organising during the pandemic, this article shows that educators across the United States have organised through a range of social movement organisations, including national grassroots networks, regional grassroots networks, unions, social justice caucuses, and building-based committees. Through these organisations, they have advanced demands for more equitable public health and education policies, including safety mitigations and wraparound services¹ for students. Building on the literature on social justice unionism, contentious co-governance, and social movement organisations, this article finds that the diverse array of organisational structures and strategies within the movement enabled educators to advance their demands and build power.