Teachers Are Worried School Districts Will Reopen Too Fast. Recent Events Show They Should Be.

September 16, 2020

By Laura Clawson

U.S. teachers are still having to spend their own money on basic classroom supplies—but now, it’s personal protective equipment for themselves and, in some cases, their students. A new poll of teachers, done by Hart Research for the American Federation of Teachers, found that 86% of teachers have bought their own PPE and 11% had bought PPE for students—a number that will presumably rise as more schools go back in person.

Almost two out of three of the 816 K-12 teachers polled were worried “that our school district will move too quickly to fully reopen schools, risking the safety of students, families, and teachers, while just 19% worried that reopening would happen too slowly. For 56% of teachers, doing the right thing meant staying all-remote for longer, while 30% favored a hybrid model and 14% wanted schools fully open in person.

An overwhelming majority—84%—of the teachers said that teachers in groups at high risk for complications of COVID-19 should be allowed to work remotely. An even larger majority—92%—said students in high-risk categories should be allowed to attend school remotely. Because teachers care for kids.

Teachers know what they’re talking about when it comes to schools. A New Jersey school just went all-remote for 14 days after a teacher tested positive less than two weeks into the school year. A class at a Virginia school also went all-remote for 14 days. A Brooklyn school closed for 24 hours after two teachers tested positive. Texas teachers have reported hundreds of violations of safety guidelines. Teachers in five states have died.

In other words, when teachers say they’re worried, they have very good reason. And they know what’s behind their worry: 78% said Donald Trump is pushing reopening to help his own election chances.

Posted with permission