KPRC 2 asked teachers to name their biggest concerns for back-to-school fall 2020; This is what people said

Desks are spaced out six feet apart in a Roanoke Catholic classroom. (WSLS)

HOUSTON – Education in the era of COVID-19 is on the minds of parents, children and their teachers as the world grapples with what life looks like amid a pandemic.

KPRC 2 reached out, specifically to the educators among our followers, for their take on the pandemic and concerns they have going forward with classes this fall.

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Here are some of the responses. KPRC 2 cannot verify whether the comments made were made entirely by educators.

Pamela Torma In person classes should not be an option until the virus is controlled. There are more positive cases today than there were in early Spring when the schools first closed. Praying for all of the teachers having to return to this mess.

Amber Norine If the teacher has to quarantine, due to self or students in the class, will their sick & personal days be used?If that’s the case, what if they have to quarantine multiple times & run out of days, will pay be docked?

Christina Gallagher Amber Norine This is a concern I have too. We only get ten paid days off a year. One quarantine will knock them all out.

Lauren Ratliff Amber Norine this is my question too! Also, what happens when we don’t have enough subs?

Todd Tisch Already a shortage of subs, especially at Title I schools and districts.How are schools, if they have in person and distance learning, going to divvy the teachers up, or will we the be saddled with monitoring both in class and distance learning? If so, do we get an extra period with no students?

Peggy McFadden Lauren Ratliff, I am a retired teacher who was subbing almost every day until thr shutdown. I, for one, will not be entering the classroom in the fall! Oh my! What a sad situation! 🙏

Robin Stauffer Peggy McFadden Administrators could certainly step in to sub instead of staying in their offices.

Vicki DeVries Skweres Will I need to quarantine from vulnerable family members while working?How do I keep the 6 ft apart?How will I get them to keep their masks on?If we can’t share supplies, who is going to provide all the extra supplies?Is someone going to provide a thermometer for me to test them every day?I’ve got a million more, but I don’t want to take up your whole feed...

Celsa Canedo I’m concerned about PPE not being mandatory. Also, I worry about all those kids that will be dropped off sick and parents won’t pick them up because they are at work. I think about student safety and how their learning environment will be safe for all of us in education. Are we teachers going to have nurses? Some schools don’t, it should be mandatory to have nurses that can help monitor students and staff symptoms at the door.

Rebecca Todd McFeron Also, will teachers’ pay be increased due to possible exposure due to large population of students in the school?

Rebecca Todd McFeron If a student or teacher tests positive for covid, will school be shut down?

Chris Jeddore Not a teacher, but concerned that the burden to supply sanitation products and masks are going to fall onto the teachers. Also, are districts putting guidelines in place to keep their staff safe, have not heard anything about keeping staff safe, just kids. AND big one - when a teacher does have a fever and is forced to take 10 days off by regulations...are they going to get docked for those days or allowed to teach from home????

Avis Sherman How much time do you have?

Sarah Mac That people, especially children, but people, are going to die who might not otherwise. I know most people who get sick will be ok. But it’s not ok to sacrifice the life/lives of unknown persons so that the majority of lives are made easier. Also, if masks are mandatory (and I think they should be), then teachers won’t really be teaching. They will be “policing” keeping masks on, etc. No matter what happens, our children suffer.

Shelly Caldwell All of it. How to keep kids apart, how to keep mask on the kids, how to keep kids from sharing food, how to keep kids from touching everything, how to keep kids from putting their hands in their mouth and nose, how to keep kids away from the teacher, how to keep teacher away from the kids, is teacher pay going to include hazard pay because parents send sick children to school ......... Is that enough??

Cathy Crawford-Shipley If no one is concerned about students and teachers getting sick (which I am BTW), what about families with special needs students and families with elderly household members?

Robert Lee School is going to feel like a prison. I don’t see the point if having school if students can’t go to gym, fine arts, have to wear masks all day, etc. They may as well do distance learning.

Stephanie Stoker How am I going to do a/b days if that will be a thing with 2 kids of my own?How will I keep the kids 6 ft apart? When will we know of a plan so we can prepare?

Melissa Smith What if the teacher gets exposed or sick with covid? Will they still be paid or have to use the very few sick days that we get.

Chris Jeddore My question is how will the mandated absences be handled? Are the districts going to utilize sick days for mandated quarantine for each fever a teacher gets???? Some teachers will be out of days in the 1st quarantine...will the district deduct their paycheck??? THAT needs to be answered very clearly before any teacher returns!

Maria Salazar-pantoja So many things. People are getting sick, some severely. This thing is so contagious. I’m scared for kids, I’m scared for teachers, I’m worried about my own kids. How do we know kids aren’t coming to school on meds when really they are sick. I know many people that send their kids to school with a fever they just give them the fever reducer. They have to go to work, I get it, but it’s not fair to everyone else around your child. Your child is still contagious. Any fevers should be home.

Read more comments on the KPRC 2 Facebook page. Be sure to like the page while you’re there.

TEACHERS: What are your biggest concerns for the new school year?

Posted by KPRC2 / Click2Houston on Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Are you a teacher or a concerned parent or guardian? What questions do you have? Leave them in the comments.