NEW BALTIMORE, Mich. (WXYZ) — According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one in four teachers nationwide has an underlying condition that puts them at high risk of serious illness or even death if they contract COVID-19.
Teachers around Michigan are raising the question to school leaders preparing for in-person instruction. How will you keep us safe? The answer is not easy. Each district that opens will face challenges.
The union president of the Anchor Bay Education Association says she is terrified that we all aren’t doing enough to keep teachers safe.
On Tuesday the Anchor Bay School District Board of Education voted to offer both in-person and virtual classes. The decision came after most parents who spoke said they needed schools open.
“Until we are guaranteed that those things are going to be in place and our staff can come back safely we are not comfortable with face to face at this time,” said Jamie Pietron.
Jamie Pietron, who is a middle school teacher and the president of the Anchor Bay Education Association sent the district a letter listing questions teachers want answered. She says she is concerned because about 90% of the district’s parents have voiced they want in-person learning.
“If you look at a typical classroom, putting children 6 feet apart when you have 34 kids in a classroom, you can’t do it,” Pietron said.
During the board meeting, school leaders spoke about how someone would have to sanitize the entire classroom in between periods.
Pietron is concerned that will fall on teachers who already are busy with tasks during these times. They monitor halls, help children with assignments, return phone calls, or e-mails from parents and the office. It is also a rare chance sometimes for a bathroom break.
“In my building, we have one custodian during the day. I think we have 756 kids in the middle school,” she said.
“I believe in being forthright and we are going to face challenges. I am concerned about the idea we would be sending teachers into a classroom with 25 plus students, and how are we going to ensure their safety,” said Superintendent Leonard Woodside.
Woodside told 7 Action News what he said during the board meeting. He too is concerned.
He says with the board just deciding now on a plan, the job of administrators like him is to now start trying to figure out how to execute it as safely as possible and communicate what is not possible.
“We are going to put together the safest opportunities, processes, procedures that we possibly can,” said Woodside.
Pietron said it has been hard for teachers to voice their concerns. She said the community out of frustration has at times reacted with anger at teachers, accusing them of not wanting to work. She said teachers love being in the classroom and want to teach in-person. They also want to protect their families and their lives.
“The reason Anchor Bay does an outstanding job and is one of the top districts in the county is because we have outstanding teachers,” said Woodside.
The district starts its school year on September 8th, so it has some time to work out policies.
Districts across the country are preparing for staff shortages as teachers make tough decisions impacting both their careers and families.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
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