Teachers shares concerns about district’s plan for the start of the school year

By To the editor:

Today the Superintendent for MSBSD emailed staff and families that the plan is to open all schools as green, despite there being a global deadly pandemic. Here are my concerns as a teacher:

Anyone who has ever been in a school understands that germs are spread quickly and without mercy. Even before Covid, we had to have a school wide talk with our students regarding hand washing, and the flu season still ravaged us.

Exposing our students, teachers, families, and communities to a virus that could long-term damage their lives if not outright end them is unethical, immoral, and against our code of conduct.

It does not provide teachers with a safe working environment, and the precautions suggested so far do little-to-nothing to change that.

We already have a sub shortage. Substitutes are in multiple germ pools at a time, and can easily and unwittingly bring those germs with them. When I was a sub I often worked at multiple schools a week, and despite my best efforts came down with strep and other illnesses multiple times.

With this shortage, and a higher likelihood of people needing subs, what will happen if a sub can’t be found? Last year, we once had a day where we had 6 teachers out sick and no subs to cover them — BEFORE a pandemic that could take a teacher out for a month, if they don’t die?

It is dangerous, and deadly, to open schools for in-person learning. Period.

Of course in-person education is important, for a lot of reasons. But when your choice is between a slightly less educated kid and a dead/orphaned one, I hope you understand the choice is simple.

Full time distance education is the only safe option at this time. It’s not “fun,” it’s not “ideal,” but it’s the reality we need to live in.

For what it’s worth, I do have faith in our educators to provide quality education at a distance, but not while simultaneously doing an already full time job of teaching in person while hoping this isn’t the day/minute/hour that ends their life forever. And if you can’t do it for teachers’ lives, do it for the rising number of children we’re seeing contract the disease.

Please advocate to take in-person learning off the table as an option going into this school year. Contact the school board and demand they keep our communities safe.

Kluonie Frey,

Wasilla