The teacher once celebrated as a hero during the early days of the pandemic is now facing backlash for opposing the return to in-person classes. The same individual who adapted an entire curriculum for online learning is now criticized for being perceived as reluctant to return to the classroom.
Initially lauded as heroes, educators are now encountering a shift in public sentiment. The debate has become contentious, resembling a battleground rather than a constructive discussion aimed at solving the challenges of reopening schools.
On one side are exhausted parents, many of whom have either lost their jobs or withdrawn from the workforce due to childcare issues, viewing the reopening of schools as a solution to their children’s struggles with remote learning. Conversely, teachers are apprehensive about the health risks associated with in-person learning, especially in the absence of adequate vaccine availability and safety protocols.
This creates a challenging situation: advocating for teachers can lead to accusations of being anti-child, and vice versa. How did we arrive at this crossroads?
To safely reopen schools, let’s reflect on the summer before the pandemic when parents longed for the start of a new school year after three grueling months of keeping their children entertained. Remember that sense of relief? As comedian Dena Blizzard humorously illustrated in her viral video from 2017, “Stop Complaining about Back to School Shopping,” parents would do just about anything to return their kids to school.
“I’ll give you anything to take my kids,” she joked, pushing a cart through a store. “I’ll get you a yellow binder, a red binder, anything!”
Teachers, it’s time to listen: What do you need? If it’s a microwave, we’ll get you one. Before the pandemic, we understood that teachers are often underappreciated. Issues affecting parents and children must be prioritized, but not at the expense of teachers’ well-being.
Teachers, your voices need to be amplified: “WE DON’T FEEL SAFE RETURNING TO IN-PERSON WORK WITHOUT PROPER SAFETY PROTOCOLS!” A survey from EdWeek Research Center showed that one in five teachers were reluctant to return to their classrooms last summer. By January, nearly 40 percent of Chicago Public Schools teachers did not report for in-person work when called back.
While many teachers don’t prefer remote learning, they genuinely wish to return to the classroom; they just want to do so safely, as noted by a third-grade teacher, Emily Brooks, from a Wisconsin school district. “We want to be back face-to-face,” she explained, “but we also don’t want to risk our lives or the lives of others.”
As schools begin to transition back to hybrid models, it’s crucial to ensure that teachers feel safe and supported. Without this, the classroom environment could become detrimental to both educators and students. Teachers are not just instructors; they are caregivers and nurturers, providing comfort and guidance to children during challenging moments.
Consider my own child’s experience on the first day of kindergarten, when he faced a panic-inducing moment. His teacher provided him with the empathy and support he needed to regain his composure. This highlights the vital role teachers play and how their well-being directly impacts their ability to support students.
Society often exploits teachers’ dedication by expecting them to go above and beyond without appropriate compensation or recognition. When teachers express concern about health risks, it’s imperative that parents rally together to advocate for safety measures, including wearing masks and getting vaccinated.
We can’t label teachers as heroes while denying them the protection they deserve. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a significant portion of teachers are at higher risk for severe illness if infected with COVID-19. The ongoing vaccination rollout needs to prioritize teachers, ensuring they receive the necessary support.
As of March 1, California announced that 10 percent of its weekly vaccine supply would be allocated to teachers and school staff. Let’s hope that this commitment is fulfilled and that teachers are celebrated with the respect they deserve.
To ensure schools can reopen safely, we must channel the same motivation we felt during the lockdown. Parents, if you want your kids back in school, let’s advocate for teachers’ needs.
Now, I’m off to buy some well-deserved cookies for my kids’ teachers.