Not Giving Up

The Teachers’ first day back in my district begins in a few hours.

Nearly all summer long, I’ve been working for: #RefusetoReturn #14daysnonewcases #first9online #onlineuntilcasesdecline #redforednotdeadfored

Our start time is 8:30 a.m. We aren’t returning with #14daysnonewcases, #first9online, #onlineuntilcasesdecline. #redforednotdeadfored remains to be seen.

I was 36 years old when I finally started the career that I felt I was built for. I might have been 34 years old when I realized this was the career that I was put on this Earth for.

I began my education career in 2015. It’s 2020 now. Five years…. Such a small time to realize a dream.

A dream

I began teaching high school science, because I believe understanding it is so important to living a full life. I believe being treated as a holistic human being is important. I know that empowering others is a way to pay it forward.

There are so many important policies set into place regarding science. A popular phrase to spout is: “I don’t like politics.” But the reality is, politics are embedded into every thread of the fabric of our existence. Science allows us the method and procedure to objectively and quantifiably observe trends in natural phenomenon.

I became an educator to empower students through an understanding of science.

A reality

Tomorrow I’ll go back to a school building. Since March, I’ve been avoiding public outings, restaurants, bars, coffee shops. I’ve almost solely seen my friends through a computer screen. I’ve been doing these things, because I have an understanding of epidemiology and public health. I appreciate the data we’ve accumulated about these things, and I use these data to guide my life to reduce my own risk as well as the risk of others to Covid-19.

But tomorrow I’ll go back to work. The only thing on the agenda is to collect my keys. Otherwise I’ll be lesson planning. Working in my classroom on my laptop. Something I could do at home. But I’ll be doing it along with ~100ish other teachers in their own classrooms, if all other teachers come. I’m not sure how many other employees will be there. (e.g. Cafeteria workers, Plant Operators, Support Staff, etc…)

During the School Board workshop on Tuesday our district administrators said we’d have MERV 13 filters in our A/C units. But is that now or is that when the students arrive on 08/24? And if not then, when?

Tomorrow, I will be lesson planning in a room by myself. (With air shared with how many other folks?) But I’ll be planning for classes that I have to teach both face-to-face AND virtually. AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Ever had someone interrupt you while you were in the middle of a Zoom meeting? How’d that call go?

Or better yet, let’s let art do the talking:

Our School Board wants many teachers to teach “simultaneously.” Meaning they will teach both face-to-face students and those who “chose” to learn virtually at the same time!!

But tomorrow and during the rest of “pre-school,” I expect to be able to socially distance.

Tuesday, my School Board voted on a new ruling regarding “face coverings.” Great. Students and employees should wear face coverings. Except the exceptions. But including the types that actually increase the number of aerosolized droplets into the air (i.e. gaiters/buffs).

Whatever. During that School Board meeting, multiple Administrators were unable to wear their masks without either 1) touching their faces, 2) adjusting their masks, or 3) having them slip under their noses. While I was in the waiting area to speak, I witnessed two grown adults remove their masks to speak. Admittedly, I was wearing a new n95 mask, and I had to adjust it a number of times. Yet children are supposed to wear them safely and properly with no problems. Uh huh.

And masks are only one of the concerns of many school employees. There are soooooooo many other holes in school reopening plans. Not that Administrators asked. Not really. Not in a truly representative way…

But our student start date isn’t until 08/24. So maybe our School Board will get a clue and vote to start virtually. This is an area of Florida with a high population. We have high infection levels. Our Rt value is > 1.00 (at least it was when I checked earlier today). Certainly our infection levels are much higher than they were when Governor DeSantis first decided to close schools in the first place.

To sum up

Teachers go back tomorrow. I don’t feel 100% safe. For a gathering of 25 people, there is close to a 50% chance one of those people is infected with Covid-19. And, again, if all teachers show up that is approximately 4x that number. I feel about 10% safe, though the data from the referenced study say that’s generous. Yet I’ll be playing those odds.

Then move to 08/24, when students show up. It’s estimated we will have 1,000 students arrive. Add in teachers, non-instructional support employees, cafeteria workers, bus drivers… Maybe 1,500 humans interacting?

I don’t know. Looks like an awful lot of cases to me.

But I’ll be treading tentatively as schools reopen. Both my Principal and Administrators higher up have been saying to trust them. They haven’t taken any decision lightly, they assure me!!

That may be the case, but I’m still skeptical. My knowledge of science and teaching have led me to want more data than they’ve provided in designing their reopening plan. There are sooooo many questions that have remained unanswered.

But even with the assurances of Administrators, I am fearful. It seems to me that someone, or a few someones, will pull the unlucky lottery ticket. Soon after the start of pre-school, or after the start of students arriving, a positive case will be determined. And a quarantine will ensue. And then someone could get sick, maybe very sick. Or maybe dead. It’s already happened in different places around the country, both within Florida and in other states.

A part of me wants to hope we are the special case and no one will get sick. But the scientist in me knows better. The data don’t lie. It’s not safe to go back right now, and someone will get sick.

Not Giving Up

I’ll be playing the odds and hoping our School Board will do the right thing before 08/24, for the sake of all school employees, students, and families.

My fellow teachers and I have been working hard for a virtual start tomorrow. Going back feels a little like defeat. It feels like giving up.

For those of us going back, please know: it’s not because we want to. It’s because we feel societal pressure to pay our rent and our grocery bill. We don’t think hardly anyone should be working during the peak of a pandemic. We don’t think students nor employees should be forced back into unsafe working/learning conditions.

And while we are back, we will be fighting back. We will fight back through walk-ins at the contractual start of the day. We will fight back through working the contract. We will fight back through walk-outs at the contractual end of the day.

No, we aren’t giving up. We continue to fight, because our students deserve to see what a workplace that fights bullying looks like. They deserve to see teachers standing up for student safety and health as well as their own.

I’m really scared, for myself and my colleagues. I hope each does what makes them feel safe and whole.

We are living during a pandemic. There is no normal right now. As our School Board pushes for business as usual, we will continue to fight for our students safety. And this time, we will also fight for our own by working to the contract.

May everyone stay safe and healthy. Please support teachers in their endeavors to keep students and communities safe, no matter where you are.