Dear Gwinnett County Public Schools, I'd like to share my thoughts on returning to school this fall...
Look. It's not an easy road, and I don't, for one second, want to ever be in your shoes to make this difficult decision. Should schools reopen in the fall with in person learning, digital, or a combination of both?
This summer, you gave parents a choice for either in person or online. You did not give teachers an option, which doesn't seem fair and equitable. A line was drawn, and the game of tug of war began. But this is no game. This is real life. With unfathomable consequences, and no going back.
As a teacher, I am afraid to return to the classroom. I don't think I'll be safe. I don't think students will be safe. I don't think my family will be safe. As a mom, I want my son to stay home. As a teacher, who has to return to the classroom, that means my son will be left unattended for several hours during the week. This is a no win situation.
I get that this is a complicated issue, and there are no simple answers. And because I'm a teacher, I have a dual perspective. As a mom, I want my son to be home and safe. As a teacher, I understand that not all students are alike. Some will flourish online. Others will not. I get that special needs and ELL (English Language Learners) students need more support. I also think about students who have mental health issues or are in an abusive environment and school is a much needed escape. As a teacher who used to work at a Title I school for 12 years, I get that education is not always equitable, and I worry about those kids who, just last school year, did not have a device nor internet service to be able to complete their assignments every day. This does not sit well with me. If we do eventually go 100% digital, every student must be given internet access, be given a device with which to be able to complete assignments, and we must find a way to effectively teach and support those students who are most at risk and who are not currently receiving an equitable education. What about parents who do not have the comfort or privilege of working from home? What will happen to those students? This is a no win situation.
This summer my principal sent us a survey giving three choices. Teachers had to choose between choice one having digital teams and in person teams, choice two digital sections and in person sections, or choice three no change - which means we would have both in person and online students for each section. The faculty voted overwhelmingly for options one and two. Even though we were initially given a chance to "vote", we were told that student schedules were made several months ago and would not be changed. Why then was the survey ever sent? To give a false hope of what and how we would be teaching this fall? Some teachers, who were able to see their initial rosters before they vanished, have already reported that their classes are a mix of online and in person students. How will teachers be able to teach both ways and do that well? This is a no win situation.
Gwinnett County, your core business is "teaching and learning". What have these four months taught you Gwinnett County? What have you learned? With the number of COVID cases on the rise, do you think it's safe for students and your employees to return to the classrooms in the "largest" school district in the state? With teachers given no choice, what about employees who have family members, who live in their homes, who are most susceptible to this virus?
One of your strategic goals is to "ensure a safe, secure, and orderly environment for all." How does your plan of returning to school in the fall, ensure a safe and secure environment for "all"? For students? For principals? For assistant principals? For teachers? For counselors? For staff? For bus drivers? For cafeteria workers? For parents? For families? For the community?
Students cannot social distance on a bus, in the classroom, nor in the cafeteria. It was said that schools and buses would be cleaned in the morning and at the end of the day. What about during class changes when some 30 students leave and another 30 arrive. There are about three minutes during class change. Are teachers supposed to be cleaning during that short time? My principal actually alluded to the fact that we could if we so desired!
What happens
Again. This is no easy decision. I get that students need to be in school. I get that parents have to go back to work to make our economy "great again", but we cannot ignore the science of this virus and the increasing number of cases. We cannot ignore the fact that adequate testing and timely results are still an issue today. No matter what decision is ultimately made, the next several months and this school year will, no doubt, be a difficult one and everyone (teachers, staff, parents...everyone!!!) will have to be flexible and accommodating.
It is often said during staff meetings that Gwinnett County is made up of two types of people. Those who teach and those who support teachers. Gwinnett County Public Schools, where is your support of teachers?
Counties that have already decided to go digital include Atlanta Public Schools, Marietta City Schools, and Henry, Cobb, Fulton, Clayton, Dekalb and Douglas county schools.
Gwinnett County, you are often one of the last school districts to close schools due to inclement weather. You are last in making decisions that affect students, parents and employees. Maybe you will make the right decision. I'm hopeful you will. At the last moment. Perhaps you will be just last, yet again.
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