Safety of teachers and school staff when returning to a school setting in August

[Anonymous]

I am continually concerned (and surprised) about how teachers and staff employed in schools are overlooked when calculating the risks of being exposed to COVID when returning to school. Heck, teachers are often not even factored into many of the decisions being made which will effect the risks that they will face if asked to teach groups of students on sight. With all the exposure to each other, I am also fearful of children catching the virus or carrying to home to their families. We know so little about that part.

The CDC guidelines are not reassuring to me, as a teacher. As a specialist I normally see about 700 students a week. I would not feel comfortable seeing half that many students, in my case 15 students since classes are expected to be 30-32 large. The guidelines don't even consider the asymptomatic carriers, who are not going to exhibit fever, etc. In addition, COVID rapid tests have a high percentage of false negatives. When testing 400 students, how many will still be carriers? Will I have to live separately quarantined from my husband who is 63? How will we do this?

I want students returning to school ASAP. I miss them dearly and know how much DL has set them back. I'm devoted to my students and I'm empathetic to families who face a very stressful situation daily while they work from home and juggle their children's online schoolwork. I want all of us to have our old lives back. I'd happily work through the summer without a vacation if we could do so safely.

I know how important getting kids back to school is for moving the economy forward. But how will we consistently and effectively enforce young children to follow the protocols of distancing, wearing masks, etc.? How will we protect them from catching the virus from each other?

[Anonymous]

I'm another teacher and I share your questions. I hope we'll get some answers soon.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here, and I completely agree. But that’s because as educators we’re ALWAYS expected to put the children before ourselves.
ie: spending our own money when schools don’t provide resources, working after contract hours without additional pay, not missing too many days of work because it will hurt the children etc.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. I imagine no one in their right mind will work as a sub. With no subs available, will a teacher who is sick feel the pressure to go into work so as not to let their colleagues down? Less teachers means more students in a class. Or more importantly, will teachers show up to school further risking the spread of the virus?

No one is talking about this. People are imagining that teachers won't get sick, subs will be plentiful.

[Anonymous]

What about teachers who have young children? What kind of childcare are they expected to procure? Will DCPS all of a sudden find that they have to fill an unusual number of vacancies? I get the vacancy list every week from the WTU. As of last week it was unusually high already.

[Anonymous]

this will indeed be a tricky issue for teachers- and for all jobs that ultimately do require physical presence.

Retail, factory workers, dental practices, restaurants, interior construction, hospitality, etc.

All of these places at some point are going to have to grapple with demanding workers return to work amid issues of risk, comfort, and child care.

[Anonymous]

CDC guidance - although very slimed down did come out.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Schools-Decision-Tree.pdf

A key step for opening is " Are you able to screen students and employees upon arrival for symptoms and history of exposure?"

If this answer is "NO" you are not supposed to re-open. My children attend larger DCPS with enrollment over 700 students. I can not imagine how you screen this many people on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

I am confused about the discussion about sending kids to school in rotations, like A & B days, or even A & B weeks. No one is discussing that the teachers and staff will still be exposed to everyone even if kids come to school in rotations. I’m in MCPS and I don’t know if DCPS is also having these discussions.

[Anonymous]

What will screening every student every day entail? How will they catch the asymptotically sick without a rapid test, which by the way gives like a 30% false negative?

It's one thing if you work in a partitioned-off cubicle where you can limit any interaction with other people. It's another thing if you interact with multiple groups of 10-15 kids (who may or may not distance or keep a mask on) in an open room for 7 hours a day.

As a teacher I'm not feeling reassured. But hey, maybe our safety is unimportant. Certainly since March I have sensed this with all the discussions surrounding a return to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What will screening every student every day entail? How will they catch the asymptotically sick without a rapid test, which by the way gives like a 30% false negative?

It's one thing if you work in a partitioned-off cubicle where you can limit any interaction with other people. It's another thing if you interact with multiple groups of 10-15 kids (who may or may not distance or keep a mask on) in an open room for 7 hours a day.

As a teacher I'm not feeling reassured. But hey, maybe our safety is unimportant. Certainly since March I have sensed this with all the discussions surrounding a return to school.

And what world are we living in where kids will willingly sit for a stick to be jammed up their nose? So many parents will find a loophole to opt their kids out, and kids will start refusing to come to school anyway if they know a stick will be jammed up their nose.

[Anonymous]

Not a teacher, but I just wanted to tell you all that I am thinking of you and I hope your voices are heard in this process--your safety matters!

[Anonymous]

NYC schools lost close to 80 people (staff and teachers) from Covid-related deaths. They did not heed warnings and kept schools open until March 22nd, way past the time other districts closed.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many students and young adults lost their lives for the same incompetence and poor judgment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a teacher, but I just wanted to tell you all that I am thinking of you and I hope your voices are heard in this process--your safety matters!

Thank you for this!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CDC guidance - although very slimed down did come out.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Schools-Decision-Tree.pdf

A key step for opening is " Are you able to screen students and employees upon arrival for symptoms and history of exposure?"

If this answer is "NO" you are not supposed to re-open. My children attend larger DCPS with enrollment over 700 students. I can not imagine how you screen this many people on a daily basis.

It would take hours to get 1/2 that number through the door.