20 percent of teachers not likely to return to classrooms if schools reopen in fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are essential personnel. If they refuse to go into work they can be fired and lose all retirement benefits. If they refuse to teach, they are an enemy of the American people.

Ok, that's a little much. Teachers have to make the best decisions for themselves and their families - just like all other workers. If the health department says it is ok to reopen and schools can prove that they have put safety measures in place, teachers and other workers would be expected to return. Those who don't might lose their jobs. That's their choice and doesn't make them an enemy of anything.

My school is considering making it flexible fo those who are medically fragile or in higher risk categories. They would have the all-virtual option for work. That seems fair. All others would be expected to return but if they don't, it's still their choice.

I think the issue with this is there is going to be a huge imbalance between the number of teachers who want to be in the "work from home" category (MANY) and the number of students signed up for "work from home" (FEW).

Yes, true but just like at any other time -- if I can't prove to my employer that I have a medical reason for an accommodation, I'm not likely to get one. Just because I want to work from home doesn't mean they have to let me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be helpful if we had more information about the relative risk presented by the coronavirus. How does the risk compare for example to riding your bike down a major street in DC? Way more risky? Way less risky? We need more information.

I don't think that would be helpful. As any of those risks can be mitigated by you personally, not erased but mitigated. You can choose to not ride a bike, or go down a busy street, or ride during high traffic times.

Covid-19 there will be people who may make you sick without even knowing it and there's nothing you could've done to mitigate that risk, a mask will not help those who are not sick. You're not going to be able to spray yourself every time you touch something or someone. There won't even be enough spray.

Also just if we look at basic human response, teachers will feel upset if we have to go back and most of the country does not. Unless we are actually labeled as essential workers. At this current time we 100% are not. That is the reality. I think the first step is for the country to deem education as essential, not just parents and teachers saying it.
But that actually being acknowledged by the government.

[Anonymous]

It's pointless to try to predict now what's going to happen in August. No one knows.

My guess is the decision on whether to open schools will, in effect, be made collectively. That is, if schools are open this fall in NYC, if Gov. Cuomo says it's ok, then schools will probably be open here too. Likewise, if schools are open in the DC suburbs, then they will certainly be open in the city too. And vice versa. We're not going to have some patchwork, where schools are open in one place and not another.

It will be like the decision to close schools. Once a few governors decided to close schools, the pressure on other governors to follow suit became enormous. It will be the same with opening them back up. The decision on whether to open schools is fundamentally a political one and almost every politician is uncomfortable being an outlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are essential personnel. If they refuse to go into work they can be fired and lose all retirement benefits. If they refuse to teach, they are an enemy of the American people.

Ok, that's a little much. Teachers have to make the best decisions for themselves and their families - just like all other workers. If the health department says it is ok to reopen and schools can prove that they have put safety measures in place, teachers and other workers would be expected to return. Those who don't might lose their jobs. That's their choice and doesn't make them an enemy of anything.

My school is considering making it flexible fo those who are medically fragile or in higher risk categories. They would have the all-virtual option for work. That seems fair. All others would be expected to return but if they don't, it's still their choice.

If someone is medically not able to come into work because they are "high risk" or "fragile", perhaps, they should find a new job. How will some teachers teach "virtually" and some teachers be in the classroom? It boggles the mind that anybody is even considering this. Schools aren't in business to give teachers a job, they are in business to educate children.

That's true but some of those families will choose to have their kids be virtual as well. There's no reason not to accommodate an employee if they can do their work virtually. If significant numbers of families choose to keep their kids home -- and there of plenty of threads in this forum with parents saying they will -- then why not let some teachers be virtual? Just to be vindictive because you believe that teachers shouldn't have the same accommodation of other employees?

On a related note, you do realize that in order to reduce the number of people in a facility at any given time that schools can reduce the number of students and adults (employees)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Parents are just being lazy.

Teachers should not risk their lives when school can be online.

Hard not to get the sense that a lot of teachers don't want to work, ever.

Don't let the posters on here be your guide for all teachers. I want to go back to work and get my kids back to school when the health department says it is ok to do so. Quite frankly, I see people from all kinds of jobs trying to go to beauty and barber shops but they don't want to go back to work. It's ridiculous and IS NOT the way that all teachers feel - especially those with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Parents are just being lazy.

Teachers should not risk their lives when school can be online.

Hard not to get the sense that a lot of teachers don't want to work, ever.

Plenty of people work from home. My doctor and his staff are all still working from home and are not booking any appointments yet. And I asked about October! I don’t think they “don’t want to work, ever.”

[Anonymous]

at some point, the public's patience with everything being closed will end. people won't live like this forever. the idea that we're going to keep doing all this, and we'll just do distancing learning, until a vaccine is widely available is not realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:at some point, the public's patience with everything being closed will end. people won't live like this forever. the idea that we're going to keep doing all this, and we'll just do distancing learning, until a vaccine is widely available is not realistic.

+1

I am one of those people losing patience. And I am a teacher who would like to return to full time in person school in the fall (we at least can dream, right?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/05/26/polls-20-percent-teachers-not-likely-return-classrooms-if-schools-reopen-this-fall/

More than 20% of teachers don't return each year, DCPS is a tough place to work!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/05/26/polls-20-percent-teachers-not-likely-return-classrooms-if-schools-reopen-this-fall/

More than 20% of teachers don't return each year, DCPS is a tough place to work!

This was a national poll

[Anonymous]

I am a principal and I am VERY worried. I'm in a very low income, 99% minority school where on the best of days things are incredibly difficult. We have already had many resignations, year long leave of absence, etc. I don't have applicants who want those jobs. My students need the very, very best of teachers. I wish I could takeg a leave myself. A school like mine doesn't work when classrooms are "taught" by a bunch of TFA do gooders who don't know shit about teaching, about minority students or anything about managing difficult students. I'm tired. I've been a principal for 20 years and I'm pretty sure this is my last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a principal and I am VERY worried. I'm in a very low income, 99% minority school where on the best of days things are incredibly difficult. We have already had many resignations, year long leave of absence, etc. I don't have applicants who want those jobs. My students need the very, very best of teachers. I wish I could takeg a leave myself. A school like mine doesn't work when classrooms are "taught" by a bunch of TFA do gooders who don't know shit about teaching, about minority students or anything about managing difficult students. I'm tired. I've been a principal for 20 years and I'm pretty sure this is my last year.

DCPS hasn't posted any vacancies online yet, wait till they do and see what happens! DCPS needs to get rid of the dumb application system and youd have more applicants also!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a principal and I am VERY worried. I'm in a very low income, 99% minority school where on the best of days things are incredibly difficult. We have already had many resignations, year long leave of absence, etc. I don't have applicants who want those jobs. My students need the very, very best of teachers. I wish I could takeg a leave myself. A school like mine doesn't work when classrooms are "taught" by a bunch of TFA do gooders who don't know shit about teaching, about minority students or anything about managing difficult students. I'm tired. I've been a principal for 20 years and I'm pretty sure this is my last year.

DCPS hasn't posted any vacancies online yet, wait till they do and see what happens! DCPS needs to get rid of the dumb application system and youd have more applicants also!

Very few people would sign up to be cursed out by parents, and taunted/disrespected by students all day. This job is not for everyone. Stop acting like teachers are so easily replaceable. Our skill set requires education, training and hands-on experience!
I love my students, I want to provide them with every resource I can, but I should not be forced to work in an unsafe (covid-risk filled) environment in order to protect my livelihood. I hope WTU sticks together on this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a principal and I am VERY worried. I'm in a very low income, 99% minority school where on the best of days things are incredibly difficult. We have already had many resignations, year long leave of absence, etc. I don't have applicants who want those jobs. My students need the very, very best of teachers. I wish I could takeg a leave myself. A school like mine doesn't work when classrooms are "taught" by a bunch of TFA do gooders who don't know shit about teaching, about minority students or anything about managing difficult students. I'm tired. I've been a principal for 20 years and I'm pretty sure this is my last year.

DCPS hasn't posted any vacancies online yet, wait till they do and see what happens! DCPS needs to get rid of the dumb application system and youd have more applicants also!

There are dozens of not hundreds posted in the internal pool. These are actual positions at specific schools, not just a generic “teacher” job posting. I’ve already gotten four interview requests, two not even in my certification area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's pointless to try to predict now what's going to happen in August. No one knows.

My guess is the decision on whether to open schools will, in effect, be made collectively. That is, if schools are open this fall in NYC, if Gov. Cuomo says it's ok, then schools will probably be open here too. Likewise, if schools are open in the DC suburbs, then they will certainly be open in the city too. And vice versa. We're not going to have some patchwork, where schools are open in one place and not another.

It will be like the decision to close schools. Once a few governors decided to close schools, the pressure on other governors to follow suit became enormous. It will be the same with opening them back up. The decision on whether to open schools is fundamentally a political one and almost every politician is uncomfortable being an outlier.

DC has already said they will coordinate policy with MD and VA.