More than 170 Wayne County educators, several bus drivers, a handful of cafeteria workers and a member of the Central Office administrative team told the New Old North they are afraid to return to school this fall.
Some of their concerns were aired the day after the district published drafts of what the state’s Plan B and Plan C school reopening measures would look like locally. Others said they decided to share their feelings after reading that WCPS Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Tamara Berman-Ishee told a local newspaper, “Right now, we’re going with Plan B,” and then justified the decision and mapped out the district’s strategy for returning to classrooms. (The district said Saturday Ishee’s comments were misrepresented by the paper and that no decision between Plan B and Plan C, or remote learning, has been made.)
The Wayne County Public Schools employees, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, verified their employment with the local school district and represent elementary, middle and high schools — and teach everything from core and arts classes to JROTC and Exceptional Children.
Many said they felt more comfortable communicating their concerns privately to the New Old North than they did responding to WCPS’ staff survey because their answers would not be tied to district email accounts.
They talked about recent news of a report prepared for the White House coronavirus task force that identified 18 states, including North Carolina, that were in the virus’ “red zone” and recommended those states roll back reopening measures.
They mentioned the recent death of a North Carolina principal who attended a graduation event at the end of June.
They talked about loved ones with health conditions and the risks they felt COVID-19 could present to their families, students and students’ families.
And their concerns were echoed by the president of the Wayne County Association of Educators. (A recap of our interview with Tiffany Kilgore can be viewed after the listing of comments we received.)
Additionally, 14 WCPS educators said they prefer Plan B — that they believed face-to-face instruction was in the best interest of their students.
They talked about missing the interaction with those children and how some of them come from tough home situations and look to school as their safe space.
They noted that North Carolinians have packed local stores and beaches and have taken trips during the summer months.
And they argued that remote learning simply wasn’t effective or accessible for all Wayne County students — and that an additional lapse in classroom learning could have serious implications on their students’ futures.
One person said they could live with either plan, so long as the start of school was pushed back to ensure proper notice was given to parents, students and staff.
Some of the comments are lengthy, but in the interest of allowing each respondent to have their respective voice heard, we published as much of their comments as possible. Some spelling mistakes were likely autocorrected, however, these statements are being published as they were submitted.
With that said, please note: 74 teachers only said “Plan C” or a variation of it and did not elaborate further. Two only responded “Plan B.”
Several comments in support of Plan C will not be published because the reasoning the teacher gave is so personal — the fact that they have a newborn or a parent living with them that has a particular medical condition, or the fact that their children attend the school they work at or have specific risk factors — that it could potentially reveal their identity. We have communicated that to those educators.
Other comments are not presented in their entirety at the request of individuals who believe certain details — a sentence or two that helped verify their employment, for example — could give away who they are. You will notice “…” in places where those details were removed and where, in some instances, profanity was used.
There were a handful of supporters for Plan B and Plan C who, despite our best effort, we were unable to verify as WCPS employees. Their comments also have been excluded.
We understand that this report is not comprehensive nor is it a complete representation of every stakeholder in the district. However, we felt it was important to allow for an honest discussion among those who chose to participate. Additional comments will be added ahead of Monday’s Board of Education meeting as they are received.
Here is what those who have participated thus far had to say:
PLAN C:
• “Not sure why this is even a question. Cooper should have had the courage to go with Plan C because with the rising numbers, going back to school is ridiculously careless. His decision was a political copout and we all know Plan C will take hold as soon as the first kid gets deathly ill. Let’s NOT LET IT HAPPEN IN WAYNE COUNTY! We should be smarter than this.”
• “I am a teacher at Spring Creek Middle School. I fully support Plan C. While I understand the implications on my students learning, I cannot teach if I am dead. I know that seems extreme, but these are the concerns weighing on my shoulders each day. Students miss one another and I miss them. I know that face to face is the instruction students most benefit from, but I do not want to be the teacher who has to explain why another teacher is no longer there or why a classmate is not returning.”
• “What are we doing? I repeat. What are we doing? How can anyone justify sending students and teachers back with the virus numbers increasing all around us? How can our board members who have children even consider this? Think about the potential lawsuits should a student die. Think about the negative publicity for a school district that is already buried in negative press of its own making. This would be yet another self-inflicted wound and I think we can all agree that schools will absolutely be shut down by the governor when (not if, WHEN) there is an outbreak at a school. Why put our students through that transition? Why are we arguing that they need “social interaction” when its pretty obvious that sports are not going to happen and that virtually all social interaction, including recess and meals, are going to look very different than they ever have. I get that remote learning is hard. I get that some students don’t learn well under those circumstances. But I will be damned if I am going to sacrifice my life because EDUCATION leaders are in DENIAL about SCIENCE. We are teachers. It is our job to provide our students with facts and not politically biased nonsense. If you are denying the science, you have no business being in a classroom. Our students deserve the truth. And more importantly, they deserve life. Plan C or I quit. Who’s coming with me?”
• “Plan C is the only one that won’t endanger children and adults. Period.”
• “I don’t have a death wish and if one of my students or their family members dies because this school board doesn’t have the you know what to put us in Plan C, I’m going to lose it. Wake up, people! Sacrifice is necessary to save lives. Why is everyone so selfish? All lives matter.”
• “As a WCPS teacher … I’m feeling very anxious about the possibility of returning to school under Plan B. We are in the top 8 counties for most cases and I’m seeing other counties choose Plan C when they have less cases than we do. I also just heard the news of a Halifax County principal dying of COVID. I also worry about how kindergartners will feel entering school for the first time under the new guidelines. Starting school is already scary for many of them. Throw in masks, temperature checks and everything else and I think the fear will be even stronger. Trying to get K-2 students to wear masks all day and stay 6ft away from their friends and teachers is going to be a very tough task. I truly feel this will all do more harm than good. It’s very risky. Please consider implementing Plan C for just the 1st quarter then revisiting the options before the 2nd quarter. I don’t feel one more quarter of online learning will harm students anymore than returning under the current guidelines and risking COVID cases would. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to voice our opinions. I will continue to pray for the leaders making such big decisions
• “My wife is an educator … and we have 2 kids in elementary school. I don’t want any of the 3 of them in a school building in the current scenario. Plan C is the only way to keep everyone safe. There are just too many unknowns, variables, and questions to return to face to face learning.”
• “As a teacher, I can tell you that there’s no way to get 15 students in a classroom with 6 foot distancing. We all had to draw a room plan with 6 ft distancing. Eight was the most for my classroom. They’re raising class sizes to 30 so one half would be 15. That’s where that number came from. It just isn’t safe. And it’s misleading to the parents. So Plan C, as bad as it is, it’s still the only safe one.”
• “Even though I am not in the ‘age range’ of people that have had major issues, more people around my age have been hospitalized at my age than any other age. I am concerned not only for myself but for my students, my parents, and my children. Until it is truly safe for everyone, I believe that Plan C is the solution and the only solution.”
• “You think school shootings are tragic? Wait until a school has to be closed because of an outbreak and the middle-schoolers I teach have to sit at home for 2-3 weeks looking on social media to see which one of their friends or friend’s parents have died. This is a preventable nightmare scenario that will most def play out if we don’t make the hard decision to stick with remote learning. Even if its just until we flatten the curve. The fact is, schools are actually less safe and the numbers are way worse than they were when we closed in March. What about this situation has improved to the point where we are ready to put students and teachers in harms way? I’m confused. Someone please enlighten me.”
• “Plan B is dangerous. We are one of the states that is the highest with positives per capita and our particular county is high even if you take out the detention center. Wait nine weeks then reassess. The students won’t gain a lot from a couple of days and quite frankly they’re all in the same boat so it is fair to all. Who is going to help the student who carries this home to the whole family and mom dies? Who is going to be there for my family if I get sick? People need to shut the community down for real and let us get a handle on this before we go and open up the largest group based activity that we know. We came together and celebrated our senior and they are doing okay and moving on. We can figure this out as a community without exposing everyone to a potentially deadly extremely contagious virus that takes days to test for. … Plan C should be the ONLY choice until the numbers start going down!”
• “I am a teacher for WCPS and I think plan C is best for all when it comes to safety. We know that learning takes place best when it is face to face, however, the risk of losing lives should be considered the top priority. We can gain back lost ground when it comes to concepts missed, however, we will never be able to get back a child, a teacher, or staff member. Plan B would defeat purpose of the entire quarantine. Businesses need to help by providing flexible hours to working parents. It can’t all be on the shoulders of the education system. We have stepped up time and time again, but now it’s time to share the responsibility. I can not afford to go back in person because I have a little boy who is disabled and has a life limiting Illness to protect. The State possibly extended COVID leave till December, however, what happens after that? We were told we would have to use our own sick leave….which I have next to none from the sick days I have used to care for my son. So, that would leave me with having to take leave without pay. My family’s safety and livelihood would be adversely impacted because the community is not willing to pitch in and help share the responsibility of accommodating working parents to help the economy. People also need to stop being entitled and selfish and follow the protocol while out- social distancing and wear a mask!!!!”
• “While I’m certain that WCPS has already made up its mind and the surveys and placating teachers and staff was just a show, I’ll let my voice be heard anyway. Plan C is the only plan. Unless you want to start making funeral plans.”
• “In order to attend an OUTDOOR graduation, people had to sign away their rights if they die. I am not willing to sign away my rights to sue WCPS if I bring COVID home and one of my family members is hospitalized. A friend of mine … got COVID and recovered, thank God, but his medical bills were insane. The only way to avoid these problems is to go remote.”
• “I am a school bus driver … and I’m concerned about students and drivers wearing a mask on a hot school bus that does not blow very cool air on students and no air conditioner on driver … just a small fan blowing hot air and we all know that August can be a very hot month. On top of the fact the students will probably not keep their masks on while riding. Not being difficult … just very concerned about how it will all work.”
• “Is allowing parents to vote on whether or not a sometimes-lethal activity should be routinely enacted in classrooms unethical? To non-newspaper-reading people, this question might seem overly dramatic. However, people who have read “Over 30% of Kids Treated For COVID-19 In Florida Are Positive, New Data Reveals” by Casey Suglia, BDG Media Inc., July 16, 2020, know that according to the Florida Department of Health, COVID-19 has hospitalized 213 children and stolen the lives of 4 children in Florida. This article can be viewed online at Romper.com. People who frequently visit cdc.gov know that COVID-19 is connected to multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a condition exhibited by 342 children in the U.S. and that resulted in six deaths as of July 15, 2020. Exploring the multisystem inflammatory syndrome, information provided at cdc.gov reveals that MIS-C affects “the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.” Considering the possible negative outcome associated with exposure to COVID-19, school board members should not let premature optimism gamble with the health of children until scientists have had the chance to thoroughly study how COVID-19 affects children. Some might argue that Plan B keeps students safe if students wear masks and are spaced 6 feet apart. Having high expectations for children often promotes growth, and I agree that children should not be underestimated, but children sometimes make mistakes. Teachers know they must exhibit patience when students are learning new behaviors. Unfortunately, the mistakes of not wearing masks and not social distancing could cost students the health and even the lives of their family members if students contract the virus at school and infect their families upon returning home. That type of loss is a heavy price to make a child pay for his or her immaturity. After all, the frontal lobes of students’ brains are not fully developed until students are in their twenties. With whatever struggles transitioning to online learning entails, the struggles are probably preferable to trying to learn while a parent is in an intensive care unit on a ventilator or trying to learn when a grandparent is in a freshly dug grave or trying to learn when several self-sacrificing substitutes are in the classrooms replacing teachers who are severely ill or dead. If reopening decisions are based on what ensures the safety, health and well-being of the students, their families, and the staff, school districts will use Plan C, 100% remote learning. To consider playing Russian roulette with students’ lives and teachers’ lives is to pay to hard a price for some students to have their preferred delivery of instruction modes.”
• “I am concerned and want to know if there will be a waiver for myself as an employee as well as my child I would have to sign if I or they would get Covid-19 that would relieve WCPS from taking responsibility. This is happening in Florida and in some counties their parents are required to sign a DEATH waiver if the employee or a child were to contract Covid-19 and then die from it. That means the school district cannot be sued for the death of that employee or child.”
• “I teach … at Eastern Wayne High School and I’m scared to death. Let us pray that the men and women making this decision are thinking about what is at stake here. I can’t bury one of these children. My heart wont be able to take it.”
• “I work with the school system as a bus driver I am very concerned about going back to work. They have all the procedures for the kids before the go into the school, what about the bus? How are you to know if the child is sick. The parents send their kids to school with the flu, what make them think they are not going to send them now. I had several come to school last year with the flu on my bus and the parents knew they were sick. I have elderly parents that now I will be very scared to see. … So who is really thinking about us? It’s not just the teachers that are in contact with the kids.”
• “I am a teacher in Wayne County. I want plan C bc I am scared I will catch COVID-19, bring it home, give it to both my husband and son. My husband is prone to respiratory infections and if he caught this more than likely he would die. He is also the breadwinner of our family. I would lose everything I have. Also I am scared I would die from this as well as my son. I do not feel comfortable with plan B there are too many risks.”
• “I havent slept much in weeks because I have dreaded this decision. I read today that Ishee already has decided on Plan B and I literally threw up. Now I have to decide between quitting my job and being alive or working and potentially dying? If there’s still hope, I beg the district to choose Plan C.”
• “Plan B is going to be a clusterf#@$. Apart from all the issues implementing it brings, teachers will have to do twice the work to teach both face to face and remotely. Teachers are in the crosshairs – if we get sick, who will sub? We will have to use our leave days to quarantine if one of our kids tests sick. We need to follow the lead if triangle school systems and go plan C until it’s safe. WCPS does not have the money or resources to implement plan B. What if I infect a child? What if a kid Karens up and refuses to wear a mask? Plan C is the only way to go.”
• “Hey there! On the reopening of schools, I would say Plan C. I teach a self-contained classroom … and while that’s not a lot of kids compared to a General Education classroom, my students have severe intellectual disabilities and it will be near impossible to follow guidelines if we return to school. I have heard that if we do Plan B and put kids on a rotation, EC kids will come all day every day. This would be beneficial for consistency purposes, however the execution of logistics in the classroom would be near impossible to maintain. It would be nice to do Plan C then re-evaluate in January but whatever is decided won’t please everyone.”
• “Governor Cooper was generous in allowing parents to be able to choose whether or not their children come to school. In his conference, he said that no child or parent could be denied the choice of whether or not to return or go with the remote learning. It only seems fair that teachers should get the same options. In my case, I do not want to return to school during a time when we would have to be masked as that indicates to me that there is very much still a threat. Regardless of concerns for my own personal safety, I have to put the well-being of my child at the forefront.”
• “Will we get unlimited paid sick leave for multiple quarantines should we be around students who test positive multiple times during the year? I didn’t think so. How can they ask us to take all this risk and not ensure we will get paid if we have to miss work because of coronavirus? Two weeks might not cut it. Either way, I don’t want to go back. This is borderline criminal. Shame on Roy Cooper for even giving the district this option. He wont be getting my vote in November.”
• “People keep saying plan b is what students need for social/emotional reasons and for making sure they get better instruction. Let me pose this to all of you agreeing with plan b. Students will not be allowed to have electives/specials. They must eat lunch in the classroom 6 ft away from anyone. You can’t do any group work either. You’ve taken away all the fun parts of school. Now suppose a student has a question. The teacher and student are supposed to stay 6ft apart do how can you effectively help that student without risking each other’s health? Bathroom breaks will take forever. When will teachers have planning breaks during the day? I don’t particularly like online learning but I don’t see how plan b could be much better.”
• “A few things that come to my mind that we didn’t discuss. 1. 50% of students does not equal 15 or less when you already had close to thirty a class before Covid. 2. Windows in new schools don’t open so there will be no air flow. 3. Low flow faucets in new schools do not let water get hot. 4. ESL and EC resource teachers in middle school serve 50-100+ students in different classes and grades. How will we reduce exposure in the face to face plan b? 5. I’m more afraid of adults. Teachers teaching remotely need to be allowed to work from home not on campus!”
• “These are my concerns with plan B: 1 – I do not believe that the school will supply enough cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer. I as a teacher can barely afford what I buy for a normal year. 2 – Will I as the teacher be responsible for the “deep cleaning” of my classroom? Because if so, when will I have time to work with my students who are remote learning. 3 – If I have symptoms (but a test takes too long to get results) am I quarantined? 4 – If I catch Covid-19 and have to be quarantined for sure, will I qualify for workers Comp? I only have a few sick days. What if I end up in the hospital for weeks or more? 5 – If I get sick, who will teach my classes? We have some very wonderful subs, but we face a sub shortage in good years – I would imagine it will be worse this year. Additionally, the subs that we have are usually not trained teachers and thus not able to actually teach most of the material we teach. Furthermore, none are trained in remote learning platforms. 6 – I worry about opening on Plan B and then having a few small outbreaks – the district will be forced to switch to remote learning again and I believe the sudden which will be just another traumatic situation for many of these kids. Some people have touted social interaction for a reason for in-person learning. But if they really understood how schools work, they would know that under the conditions of plan B, there will be almost no social interaction between students anyway.”
• “I am a Teacher and I’m afraid to go back to work right now. I believe Plan C will be better for everyone until this virus is under control.”
• “I am very concerned about going back with Plan B. Our family feels the risk is much bigger than the benefits.”
• “Our school janitors are barely literate and spend most of their day hanging out in the hallways with students who are skipping class. And these are the people I’ll be trusting with my life? Not a chance. Plan C.”
• “I am a substitute for WCPS. I am concerned not only for my health but other employees as well. Also the kids. Many parents have to go back to work but will not be home to make sure kids be on the computer but also if they do online shouldn’t it be some compensation for substitutes let us help online so we can get a paycheck too at least for the first 8 weeks so we can see what is going to happen with this virus.”
• “Plan C. I always tell my social studies students that being a leader often means making an unpopular decision because it’s the righteous decision. I hope the school board heeds that message and doesn’t end up on the wrong side of history here.”
• “No vaccine. No face to face instruction. It’s simple. Without bodies, a virus dies. Giving Covid19 a few hundred bodies inside every school is so stupid I cant even begin to describe it. The good news is that it looks like a vaccine could be ready in a few months. A little patience could be rewarded with packed classrooms, football, basketball and more. But if people start dying, we risk all of that due to the trauma we are going to have to deal with inside those classrooms. Thanks for letting us have a sounding board. If you don’t think they are putting names with those survey responses, youre crazy. If I know one thing its that this district is petty and there are consequences for not being a team player. And whats worse is they boast about their million dollar lawyer to try to scare us even more.”
• “I think plan C is the best plan for the first semester. I am concerned about becoming sick with COVID 19 and spreading it to my family members. Being closed up in a classroom with 15 children all day is an environment that guarantees the transmission of germs. Even though Wednesday is a day for cleaning, the second half of the week brings 15 more chances for new infection. That’s 30 kids (30 different environments) being brought into one shut- up room each week. … If we get sick now, who would sub? Would our homeroom automatically go to 100% remote learning until we were well again? None of these questions have been addressed. There is no way to keep kids 6 feet apart – we do not have hot or warm water for washing hands – we have one window air conditioner for the entire room – several times last year, we had to leave our classroom to be relocated because the radiators would not cut off and it was in the upper 90’s in the classrooms – kids throw up – they have to go to the bathroom – I had one who crawled on the floor last year – they fight – they cry – I could go on and on. It’s just not an environment where it’s possible to maintain the safety precautions we are supposed to maintain. It makes more sense to start out with plan c and move to plan b when the rest of the State opens back up. It doesn’t make sense for our State to be on a partial shutdown and send kids back to school at the same time. It’s an oxymoron. In addition, everyone has been trained on Google Classroom – so it makes no sense to change that now. When we get kids back in the classroom, we can train them on a different platform. We all want to keep our jobs, but having to respond to the survey sent out by the BOE certainly put us on the spot. Thank you for giving this opportunity to respond without feeling as if we have a target on our back.”
• “I support Plan C for the start of the year. I am concerned about the health and safety of staff and students. There are too many questions that no one can answer or is willing to answer. Who will cover classes when teachers begin to get sick or need to quarantine due to a potential exposure? Who is going to pay for cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer and the transportation costs? Our school system can’t afford it. There are so many more questions I have related to Plan B. Also of importance to me under any plan is how do I protect my high risk family members. Is it fair to ask me to risk bringing the virus home and exposing them? If we are asked to return under Plan B, I will implement safety procedures but it’s a risk that I am not happy with it.”
• “I want Plan C but I don’t think we really have a say.”
• “The only way I’m showing up inside a school with students in it is to protest.”
• “I am an elementary special needs teacher. I have already been asked if my students will be exempt from wearing a mask. The answer is yes. The reality of this is scary. While you see some educators shouting to get back in the classroom and how their special needs kids need to be back the most, I feel because this population is not able to distance, wear masks, and is going to be there the full week we need to be on a plan C schedule. I am more at risk with this population due to this. I want to advocate for my students. I want to be face to face with my students. I love my students like family. But the reality is, I am a mother … and I am being asked to go to work every day sign a covid waiver to release WCPS liability if I get sick, be okay with possible exposure since my students cannot social distance nor wear masks, and then risk my parents lives because they care for my children while I’m working. The ripple effects go on and on. Plus, I’m being asked to do this with no raises, no budget has been passed, and while the state says they are only funding the PPE to get started and not supply the cleaning materials needed for the year. So I don’t trust a county that just covered up an 8 million dollar deficit to supply cleaning supplies for my classroom. Also- the kids who can wear masks all day … imagine this. 2 hour bus ride to school, 8 hour day at school, 3 hour bus ride home from school. A mask for that long is insane. While also in a diaper. Our county doesn’t have anyone’s best interest at heart.”
• “In response to the post regarding whether we request plan B or Plan C – I feel more comfortable with plan C.”
• “I am an educator in Wayne County and I am praying for the folks that have to make the decision about how we return to school. I wouldn’t want that job! While I really would love to get back to work face to face with my students and wish for a return to school for my own child, I wonder if the best solution is to go totally remote (plan c) for the first 9 weeks to see what happens to our numbers. And then transition to Plan B. I know this will cause a hardship for working parents with young children in our county and I also remember the overwhelming issues with remote learning back in March. That’s why this is such a hard decision. No plan will make everyone happy. Someone will be inconvenienced with any plan. I just think we should be safe first and then proceed. I also hope our county invests in some programs that are uniform across the county. Programs that are already being used in virtual learning platforms, that are already PROVEN to be effective. That’s just my opinion and I don’t pretend to know everything. This has been such a surreal, unprecedented experience.”
• “As a teacher with a compromised immune system, I prefer plan C. Plan B sounds to risking for students and staff. There are too many variables and “what ifs” that cannot be answered. I also feel that in the financial state or school system is in, plan C would be less costly.”
• “As an elementary teacher these are my biggest concerns with plan b – and realize that none of us know if this will happen so I am just speculating. 1) having to quarantine every time a student is exposed, shows symptoms, or tests positive. I will be seeing roughly 18 students on rotation, if I have to quarantine for even just 5, pending a negative test result then I will wipe out my sick days and my check will be taking leave days without pay. Keep in mind also that many symptoms of Covid are the same as a cold. 2) if we are limiting class sizes to reduce exposure etc then what about the kids who will be going to daycare on the 3 virtual days? Seems a moot point 3) what about siblings? Will they be grouped together to go on the same days? 4) Shortened days would be better – I will have 8 yr olds who will be in a mask 7hrs in one small area. I can’t do group work or even send kids to the bathroom as a group. 5) How are 15 kids (upper grades half size class) going to socially distance themselves in a trailer? 6) if the buses are 1/3 full then that means staggering students coming in and dismissing do you know how difficult it is to teach and maintain order when kids are coming and going throughout the day. I’m not against plan B ….. I want plan B …… but I have concerns.”
• “I cannot even begin to fathom Wayne Co possibly thinking of using plan B. It is double work on the teachers as well as exposing them as well as their families to germs from all sides. We have kept our son inside most of the time due to asthma. Now they want him in school 4 days a week. Yes, virtual school is an option. However, how is his mom going to have time to help him while fulfilling her role with F2F during the day and planning for remote at night. She NEVER had a break earlier with just remote, asking for 2 roles is ridiculous. Maybe the board would like to come volunteer, sub, or drive a bus to be exposed too. No, that’s right, they need to find $6 $million dollars.”
• “Plan C or boycott. They can’t replace us all, especially with how old our subs are.”
• “I am truly uncomfortable going back to school under anything but Plan C. We do not have the financial resources to follow recommended guidelines safely, and even if we use personal funds, where will we get cleaning materials? They are out of stock. I have no resources because my books are class sets of texts, and I cannot sanitize them without destroying them. As a high school teacher, I will be in contact with hundreds of people daily in an area with poor air circulation and no explanation of sanitizing methods between classes. Furthermore, I am a parent of a 2nd grader. Though I appreciate the accommodations WCPS is making for teachers by allowing our children to attend additional days, I don’t want him to be in this environment more with increased cross contamination. I wish we could both work from home (or even in my classroom with just us) under plan C’s guidelines. Finally, I (and others) do not understand how we can meet the needs of students who are remote learning at home while teaching at school from 8-3. We have been chastised for not helping them during their parents’ available hours. But if we are working all day, how do we contact them and still make ourselves available to our own families? Thank you for considering our opinions. Teachers have somehow been villainized in this situation for being concerned about our own welfare and our families’ physical and mental health when we already face a strenuous amount of guilt for dividing our time between work and home as it is.”
• “I would rather go with plan c. … My immune system is low.”
• “Plan C. I am a retired teacher but I now tutor and work as a substitute. Yes, students need to return to school for emotional and mental health, but NOT at the risk of their lives. Plan C is what we need now. It is temporary and as soon as the threat of this virus goes away, school can begin again. To put teachers, staff and children at risk is horrendous. It is sad that at the National level, schools are being used as the scapegoat. This is wrong. Our Federal Government is essentially saying “We want votes. We don’t care if this costs us the life of our children.” Come on, as a nation we should be better than that.”
• “Hello I am a substitute teacher and … my immune system is weak and I am currently taking an antibiotic for the rest of my life. I chose plan c so my son can stay home and not expose me to the virus. This year I will not be able to return as a substitute teacher.”
• “Plan C cases are increasing and we have never had adequate cleaning supplies or janitors who actually clean. Preschool children cannot social distance it’s impossible.”
• “I feel Option C is the safest way to start back the school year. When the common cold hits a school it spreads like crazy, the flu, stomach bugs even lice. Schools are proven places for the spreading of germs. I’m very concerned with the average age and health of my co-workers. it seems every year that we have teachers out with sickness for extended periods of time. Finding quality substitutes is hard enough when we already have numerous long-term subs in the building. Now for me personally I have 2 school aged children in the district at 2 adifferent schools. The logistics of Plan B will be very challenging to say the least. … The best thing would be for the virus to go away and things get back to normal. Since that’s not going to happen I’m for Option C for safety of our students and staff. I understand the pediatricians say kids going back to school is is the best thing for them…. yet these same kids must wait in their cars until their appointment time because it’s too dangerous to wait in the lobby of the pediatrician’s offices. So pediatricians are ok putting teachers and students at risk but not themselves.”
• “We need to start with Plan C and works towards Plan B. 6 feet apart is absolutely not going to work in many classrooms. I can think of one at (my school) that is/was a self-contained classroom that is much too small for 7-10 students in non-COVID-19 times. And these are classrooms that serve our most medically fragile children. Also, nothing has been said about related-service providers such as OT, PT and SLP’s. We are by profession, a very hands-on group, and we have been provided with no guidance as to work spaces, distancing, sanitizing, PPE, etc. If school nurses are to be provided with PPE, what about the related service providers who see multiple students a day, in multiple classrooms and multiple buildings. Aside from SLP’s and the therapists at Meadow Lane, we do not generally have a “defined workspace” in the schools. We are itinerant employees. Our “space” is generally “space available”, meaning library, work/staff rooms when empty, conference rooms, cafeteria’s when empty, storage rooms/closets, etc. How will we be able to maintain 6-feet apart and work on fine-motor, handwriting, scissor, dressing, feeding and toileting skills? No one has advised on what materials will be allowed to be used. We realize items like Play-Doh and Theraputty will not be able to be used. It’s possible we could make up individual Fine Motor bags for our students, (tongs, poms, coins, clothespins, small games and manipulatives and other items), but who will help pay for that? We “average” 40 students on individual caseloads, from PK-through middle school, and sometimes high school. We travel to multiple buildings and classrooms throughout the day. As for remote learning, tele-therapy is different from receiving academic instruction via various platforms such as Canvas or Google Classrooms, because we also have to take HIPAA into consideration. I apologize for the long message, but I am feeling frustrated at this point, because none of these issues have been addressed. I’ve worked in the school system for (a long time), and as always, EC/Related Services is forgotten once again.”
• “I don’t really feel they can open safely as far as staff is concerned. My biggest concern about plan B is that for High School students. they will be attending class M/T/Th/F with Wed set for cleaning. But when the next group of students arrive on Monday to start their week there has been no cleaning between groups. Might as well have them all go together.”
• “Thank you for giving teachers a safe space. We have followed your stories on the budget but many of us cant share them on Facebook because of our contracts. Your have been a voice for us and it means the world. Anyway, I am a … teacher at Rosewood High School and I am appalled that Plan B is even a consideration. I love my job. This was a calling. And my students often feel like my own children. That is why I will protect them by voting Plan C. And if the board goes the other way Monday, I will fight like hell every single day until we go back and hope the hundreds of likeminded educators out there who haven’t yet used their voice will stand alongside me. Even one student, staff or family member death is unacceptable. Again, thank you for all you do for Wayne County and especially our teachers. It means the world … that we have a publication that speaks the truth when so many have decided to turn a blind eye to all the corruption and mismanagement that has infected our community for far too long.”
• “I have given the children here my all and simply ask this one time that I don’t have to choose between them and my own children. I have to remind my own children constantly to wear their mask or wash their hands. To clean their devices. We are currently on self-imposed quarantine because we went to see my mom, whom I haven’t seen in over a year … and it was a total nightmare. My children hugged, and touched everything and everybody. Forgot their masks and their gloves. I didn’t sleep at all that night. I don’t want to risk My children and any other children. … I’ve dealt with the loss of a student by an accident, I don’t think that I could handle a death by something so preventable. You may use some of my quotes if you need to. I just ask to remain anonymous. Thank you for always looking out for the best interest of EVERYONE!!”
• “Hello! I am a kindergarten teacher with Wayne county public schools. I do not feel safe returning to school under plan B. It honestly seems like a logistical nightmare thrown together to appease those that want their kids to go back to school, no matter the cost to human life. It seems unfair that we would have to use sick days/our time to quarantine if we are potentially exposed too. Many of us didn’t ask to come back. We don’t feel safe. We understand the “inconveniences” of children not returning to school. Trust me. Is it worth the danger and potential loss of life? Many schools that have returned back have had to shut down due to outbreaks. Do we want that happening here?”
• “My wife and I both teach (in WCPS) and neither feel comfortable with returning and the potential exposure, at least the first few months. There are just too many unknowns, not to mention the overwhelming financial burden and logistical nightmare. One of our concerns is what would happen if we become exposed to someone that tests positive or we become sick. Would we still be able to work from home, have to use leave, file an insurance claim … I just don’t trust WCPS to have our best interests as a priority. I don’t want that to sound selfish, but I think our Central Office and Board have provided us with plenty of evidence to support that assessment. Thank you for all you do!”
• “Definitely feel Plan C is best for everyone’s safety because numbers are still rising.”
• “I have numerous concerns shared by many teachers- how do we enforce the mask rule, how will class changes go, how will I do twice the work (face-to-face lessons as well as work for remote learning), what happens if a staff member or student gets sick, etc. I mainly want to focus on the elephant in the room here- that WCPS is $5 million in the red. If we go back under Plan B, the county has stated that there will be social distancing and deep cleanings. How can the county afford to deep clean our schools appropriately when they had to scramble to pay for supplements in June, something that they have to pay for EVERY year regardless of our nation’s pandemic status? I have a feeling that we as teachers will, once again, be expected to pick up where the county slacks. After Hurricane Florence in 2018, there was mold in many classrooms at our school. I had black mold in my sink. The assistant superintendent that visited the schools told ME personally that I had to clean the mold out of the sink. We will be expected to do the cleaning. I normally keep Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, and tissues in my classroom anyways- as most teachers do. I haven’t seen Lysol wipes ANYWHERE in Wilson, Goldsboro, or Greenville since early March. How can I be expected to keep my rooms clean if I can’t find the supplies that I need to clean? I would love to go back to school and see my students again, just like I know you do. But I don’t see how Wayne County can feasibly have us go back and not get sick. Teaching the student body that I teach, I know they face more health risks due to living in poverty. If we go back, students will get sick. Their families will get sick. Their teachers will get sick. We should not be putting unnecessary trauma onto these kids if they, their classmates, or their loved ones get sick. As much as I love this job that I truly consider to be my dream job and my calling, it is not worth a single student, staff member, or family member getting sick.”
• “Plan B is not the move. We all want to get back to our children, however plan b has way too many what ifs! And to be honest, y’all KNOW there’s not enough of us to fully staff a Plan B. Plan C is the better option, however none of the plans are optimal, but I believe we’d all fell better if we all felt safe.”
• “Plan c it is unsafe for kids to return right now.”
• “There is one big problem with plan B at the high school level, we have the wrong entirely remote day given the way the students are being assigned. My reading of the plan is we will have three week cycles with week 1 having A face to face, B and C remote. week 2 B face to face with A and C remote, then week 3 C face to face and A and B remote. All weeks would be W all remote day so buildings can be cleaned. That means we are cleaning with in a group of students instead of between two groups. That negates the purpose of the cleaning.”
• “I am a teacher for WCPS and I think plan C is best for all when it comes to safety. We know that learning takes place best when it is face to face, however, the risk of losing lives should be considered the top priority. We can gain back lost ground when it comes to concepts missed, however, we will never be able to get back a child, a teacher, or staff member. Plan B would defeat purpose of the entire quarantine. Businesses need to help by providing flexible hours to working parents. It can’t all be on the shoulders of the education system. We have stepped up time and time again, but now it’s time to share the responsibility. I can not afford to go back in person because I have a little boy who is disabled and has a life limiting Illness to protect. The State possibly extended COVID leave till December, however, what happens after that? We were told we would have to use our own sick leave….which I have next to none from the sick days I have used to care for my son. So, that would leave me with having to take leave without pay. My family’s safety and livelihood would be adversely impacted because the community is not willing to pitch in and help share the responsibility of accommodating working parents to help the economy. People also need to stop being entitled and selfish and follow the protocol while out- social distancing and wear a mask!!!!”
• “So glad I have done nothing for the last 4 months and now the district wants to send me into a classroom to die. Does anyone else think they might want to see a bunch of us quit to save some money? They said they hired 100 teachers more than the allotment, right? Voting on Plan B and getting a bunch of resignations only to have the governor close the schools upon the first outbreak would be a pretty good deal for the board members who got us into this mess in the first place. I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but at this point I would not put anything past those people.”
• “This is just another way they are disproportionately hurting our at-risk students. Who cares if the black kids with health problems get Covid and die, right? Plan C is the only one that makes sense. Education is important. Nothing is more important than LIFE. I have no faith in the school board but I pray they before they needlessly kill a student or teacher.”
• “I work at Southern Wayne … and I am in favor of Plan C. People without children should not be making this decision. This should be a vote of among the teachers where there are no consequences. How can we expect to enforce masks with one SRO and when the school board members wouldn’t even wear masks when they were handing out diplomas? That board has proven they aren’t qualified to run this county. They should not be allowed to make this call.”
• “It has been so long sense I have seen my students and I want to hug their necks so tight. But I wont be able to live with myself if I don’t have symptoms and get them sick and they take it home to grandma. Lots of my students live with grandma or sickly parents and Im worry about them more than the kids.”
• “Remote learning is not great. Most of my students didn’t do any work. But I would still rather have students repeating grades and having to play catchup than reading their obituaries.”
• “Central Office already showed its hand by telling the NewsArgus they were going to do Plan B. Ishee should be fired but she is a smart woman. If she spent all that time talking to a reporter about how great Plan B was, were already screwed. But my two cents FWIW is that remote learning should be done and can be done. These kids aren’t gonna be OK with no sports and no band and no dance, etc. They are going to be off the chain from the jump and getting them to stay in their seats and their masks is a joke. If we go back, come see for yourself. And if we go back, I am going to report every single one of those checklist items that is broken to Miss Carey. My phone is gonna be worn out with the pictures Im gonna take.”
• “Although I would like to return to school for my benefit and the obvious benefit to the students and parents, I am honestly terrified. I have some risk factors, but I have a family member residing in my house who has serious medical issues that would make getting the virus a major issue. Even though I may be perfectly fine if I do get it, I may not be, and even if I survive, financially being in the hospital could be a whole different kind of burden that people are facing. I do not feel the school system is financially able to provide the staff or supplies necessary to keep everyone safe, not to mention the logistical nightmare of this situation. Most adults will be so focused on the health and well being of themselves and the children, that the education part is just as likely to fall by the way side, as with what people assumed about remote learning. The time alone it will pull from academics with the shifting and the cleaning and the hand washing and the discussions and reminders will waste what little time they are physically present. One of the main problems with remote learning the first time was the changing and shifting announcements by everyone. The students quickly realized how to play the game of what was being done to benefit them, yes, but also to take away their incentive and sense of responsibility to complete their work. If, from day one, it is made clear that this platform accompanies the same expectations as in person learning, and the media refrains from interfering with announcements that have not been locally addressed, then students will perform better. With Plan C, it would be better to have staff physically present at work, unless something arises where they need to stay home in the case of an outbreak. In that case, staff should be expected to maintain the same directives of mask wearing and social distancing that would have been present if the kids were there. Teachers can work from their rooms where they have more resources to do a better job; that allows administration to monitor that staff is actually earning their salary, which I am sure was a concern of the public with us at home. While there are many people who may have no concerns for whatever reason, this is a real public health risk. While they think that children are not as affected, they don’t know for sure, but they do know that adults are, and teachers and staff are adults. Without enough adults, regardless of how many students you can get in school, there is no learning. If, and as, the virus runs through a building, there is only so long before you have no replacements of adults to take the place of those who do fall ill, or who are suspected to be ill and have to stay home for two weeks. Two weeks in a school, especially a high school, is a lifetime. The inevitable distractions and interruptions that plan B entails pose way more of a potential academic slide than starting out strong and solid and organized with a focused plan C. Not to mention, exposure is going to happen at some point in some building that will likely lead to what is essentially plan C. Students do not do well with change in routine. The back and forth will lead to the same mess that resulted in the spring. Most students will struggle anyway with the lag time in the weekly organization of plan B where they are not likely to do anything the two weeks they are home, and that will put the teacher trying to figure out how to redo what had already been done in a class with kids who did what they were asked with ones who did not. That is not new, but with the time restraints, this will not be as easily remedied. The staff who are wanting to return and who do believe the virus is a real threat are “getting their affairs in order” as far as their families and their wills. I just do not believe that teachers or cafeteria workers or administrators or bus drivers should be preparing for possible death to return to work. I am well aware that there are people risking their lives everyday, but we can avoid this because there is an alternative-option C. If option B were doable and a viably successful option, then I would be all for it, because honestly, I would gladly risk my life for my students; I have actually thought about it often, particularly during the numerous school shootings around the country, but the fact that plan B will cause major academic disruption despite them being present at school some, does not make the risk involved worth it. Please consider what teachers have to say and their personal concerns. I know it seems selfish and will put a lot on parents, but one day this will pass, and there is no guarantee that everyone will be here when it does; there is already a shortage of people who are willing to even consider teaching as a career. When this is over, we still want as many teachers (and students-they are at risk as well) to be there waiting to welcome all the kids back into the classrooms together when masks are removed and we can get back to what we now miss and appreciate so much more. I had considered going back, with a mask of course for Plan B, but am growing very concerned as I hear about the plans and comments. I have a family member who lives with me who is high risk, so I am very worried about returning, not to mention the risk factors I myself have. I think it is possible to return, but ONLY if extensive precautions are put in place, but it is looking like to me that, that is not the intent of the county. If they are saying “…since the 50% capacity rule is dropped…”, then they are only playing semantics with the recommendations to see how they can force us back regardless of our safety. We do not have the money as a county to implement things safely that would make plan B work. Other places have hand sanitizer units installed; other states have plexiglass dividers for student desks; I don’t foresee us having access to those things. Teachers/staff will be expected to clean desks and computers between classes probably with spray cleaners and rags, probably not a different rag between desks, which just spreads the virus from desk to desk. Will we have time to then wash our hands? Teachers/staff will also be needed to help check people in of a day. Will they be expected to come in early? Won’t this just cause a back up line of people? How will we possibly start on time with the kids who are physically present of a day? Who is supposed to take our places when we are either out sick, or suspected of being sick? And this WILL happen. These are things I don’t think have solid plans in place, and I don’t think there will be, because there are no good solutions to these problems that don’t risk people’s health. It just looks like we will bend to skirting around the recommendations on the list that cost too much or that we can’t follow.”
• “We already had to make an impossible decision with graduation. Basically if we didn’t go because of safety concerns our students thought we just didn’t care. Now, they are doing it to us again. This is destroying our relationships with our students.”
• “My wife is pregnant and I will not be returning to teach if they chose Plan B.”
• “B is NOT developmentally appropriate – eating breakfast, eating lunch, not having real recess, having everything in the class – not moving, not socializing, not choosing books at the library – so not what our kids should be doing for 7 1/2 hours each day. Thanks you for gathering the ideas of the people who will actually BE in the classroom with the children – not just all the folks at CO who never actually have to worry about interacting with children and staying in a room without running water or windows that open all day long!”
• “I’m a teacher, not a soldier. I did not sign up to give my life and should not be fired or have to quit because I am afraid to die. And the irony is, the most at-risk teachers will be the ones chosen to run the virtual academy and most of them are so old they can barely use a computer to input grades and take attendance in PowerSchool. … Smh.”
• “I have had students and parents texting and calling me for the last several days. They are terrified about coming back and many of them said they will go to online only. I for one don’t want a school where half our kids aren’t there. What are we trying to save here by putting kids in half empty classrooms?”
• “Hello, I teach … at Rosewood Middle School. … I feel like Plan B is both reckless and completely unrealistic. Nobody seems to realize that the school they want to come back to, is NOT the school they are going to get. … In fact, if a student has a question, I will not even be allowed to go up to them and help them. Not to mention the logistics and expense of getting them all there, in the building, temps taken, 6 feet apart the whole while. I see little to no time for instruction in this picture. I believe I can help more effectively in a one-on-one google meet tutoring session than in this 2 day per week plan. I could go on and on, but I’m sure my remarks overlap with others. Thank you for all you do to make our voices heard.”
• “I opened Powerschool up last year and had more than a dozen students in one of my classes with allergies or diabetes. Who is gonna make sure those kids are protected? The only way to keep them safe is remote learning.”
• “Wow. A life and death decision that shouldn’t even be a question. Plan B is a death sentence.”
• “I teach at Dillard and we can bearly control these kids half the time. How are we gone make sure they wear masks and stay off each other. They climb on each other all day long. School the way they say its gone be is not really school. The students wont have it.”
• “Trump is not holding rallies anymore. Read that again. Even Trump is starting to acknowledge we have a big problem with rona. When that man gets it, everyone should get it. Those who send students back into this mess should be charged with attempted murder and im not even sorry not even a little bit for saying that.”
• “I wonder if anybody else noticed that the surveys didn’t say did we want Plan B or Plan C. They said if we do Plan B would we wear a mask. Its like they rigged the whole thing. Thank you for giving us a chance to actually answer the question that matters. My answer is HELL NO. Going back is too dangerous and the only people who think it’s a good idea think this is the same thing as the flu. I rest my case. Maybe they need a face to face education from a scientist and we have plenty of great science teachers in this district who would probably love to do a google meeting with them, me included.”
• “We have a moral obligation to go with Plan C. As a Christian, I don’t believe in leading the lambs to slaughter and that’s exactly what a return to school is.”
PLAN B OR PLAN C:
• “I want plan B bc for my mental state I need to be back at school. However, I understand plan C as well I think that going back to school in a few short weeks with students a week later (regardless of plan B or C) doesn’t allow for any true structured plans to be put in place. I’m all for going back when I’m supposed to. I just wish students could have a pushed back start date. This will ensure that whatever plan is chosen is done effectively and not thrown together, as most cases. I teach K/1 so it’s going to be very difficult to implement full on remote or the 50% capacity because they are little. If it’s full on remote, then I want to go back to the building as a teacher and work and not work from home. It’s a lot to think about and we haven’t been trained on whatever they may roll out that we have to use. That’s another issue. Everything is so last minute and they expect us (the teacher) to do all of this and I just don’t know what to think. The surveys they send out aren’t all they need to be either.”
PLAN B:
• I help to assess students to determine their need for an initial or continuing IEP. If students are unable to return to schools, how are we going to be able to test them and make sure they are eligible for IEP or 504 plans? Will plan C eliminate my job completely!?!
• “Plan B all the way. We can handle it.”
• “I’m fine with Plan B but I know many fellow educators who are in the high risk group and would probably vote for C. I understand both sides of the argument. I fear that there will be repercussions for teachers who voice concerns.”
• “Plan B! It will work if we all work together. It’s not necessarily going to be easy, but nobody said it would be!! Kids get so much more than education when they are at school!!”
• “I want to be back in school. I feel like plan b could work if logistics were thought through with each school. I want my children in school. They do better with face to face and my husband and I want them in the classroom. I teach all day at school, but at home, it wasn’t that easy. We were all stressed and each day was full of tears. That is not the learning environment that I want for my children. I know the risks of the virus and I am aware that there’s a possibility that I, or my children could be exposed. We have been doing life as normal, with them shopping, being with friends, church, and swimming, trying to make their lives as normal as possible. My husband works in a public retail job, so we have been washing hands to prevent any spread that could have potentially been brought home that way. Children need routine and structure and I look forward to seeing my students and my children being back in school. I am also fearful that with the budget being in such a mess, that remote learning could mean losing lots more positions.”
• “Plan B kids are suffering mentally, socially and educationally. They are not able to be involved in exercise and sports and are struggling online Teachers can’t assist them like in school , parents have to work and can’t sit home and help with school work. Since the statistics are saying lesser cases involving children It is safer for our kids to be in school with other kids versus all the people out in public. If stores and other places can be open and our children be allowed to go in them then why not let them earn the education they deserve. If everyone would follow the Governers order WEAR MASK WASH Your HANDS Stay 6 Ft apart and sanitize then this virus may cease and us all get back to normal lives. If we have to keep our kids out of school and have them suffer with learning then WHY NOT SHUT THE WHOLE STATE BACK DOWN TO A STAY HOME ORDER.”
• “Hello!! First off, thank you so much for being the sounding board for all of us WCPS teachers and staff. It’s nothing short of wonderful and amazing that you are doing this for us! I want to tell you as well that although you ensure anonymity, it’s totally ok to use my name and work details when presenting my feedback to the board, I am ok with that! My name is Nicole Shaffer and I teach second grade at Rosewood Elementary School. I have a son entering first grade and a daughter entering second grade at the school as well as teaching there. I am so incredibly impressed with the draft of plan B, what I have seen thus far. I am immensely grateful for the consideration of all teachers and staff in the board crafting this plan. It is so evident that every voice was heard and considered. Personally I am SO relieved and honored that staff children can attend full time with plan B. I would truly be stuck in an extremely tough situation if they were not permitted to attend full time as I cannot afford child care those extra days for 2 children. Please let everyone know, as I see it is TBD and not set in stone that teachers may bring their children on the Wednesday work day, that I REALLY and STRONGLY vote that YES, that is something that is allowed. My job will always be my first priority on any work day or instructional day and I will not let my children serve as a distraction on those days. I just cannot stress enough how grateful I am for you, WCPS; you are a joy and an honor to work for. I naturally love teaching and I love second grade, and this trying time is so difficult right now but you are not taking any of my joy away by doing this for us. I also really love the schedule format for elementary school with groups A and B on the 2 days a week. I believe that will be easier for everyone rather than the every other day or every other week. Now, regarding the open mind and possibility that solely plan C could be chosen – I will just be blunt and honest: I hate plan C in any respect. Not the careful developed specifics of the plan C you worked so hard on – it is fantastic and wonderful – but just solely remote teaching and learning in general. I know it’s out of a lot of district’s hands, but since Governor Cooper said plan B can be in place and plan C is just an option if desired, plan B is the way to go because it has been said by so many professionals and even Cooper himself that the best place for students to learn is in the classroom. As a teacher I do not want to solely teach those babies online. I want to be WITH them, instructing them and working with them in the classroom, even though that looks different this year and my groups will be smaller. I just want to be with children again and teach again. As a mom, my kids need to be in school. Adhering to CDC guidelines is not an issue for me. My classroom and my own children and I will roll with it. This won’t be forever. I also know plan C could be required in a heartbeat if this virus gets bad and if that’s the case there isn’t anything we can do about it but I really think we at least need to start off with plan B. Factually speaking, since the virtual academy is an option, I don’t see a necessity for plan C only because parents who want their kids to do only remote already have that option there to choose to do so and the other parents who want their children in face to face instruction can still have that with plan B. Plan C takes all parent choice away. Also, in looking at the numbers of children who apply for the virtual academy, this can also pair the teachers who do not feel safe going back to face to face or are immunocompromised with a strictly virtual teaching option. And then teachers like me can be in the buildings doing plan B with the students whose parents want face to face instruction. I really really really feel like plan B encompasses the concerns and needs of everyone because it gives more flexibility and freedom of choice for parents and staff. Plan C forces all parents and staff to only do remote when that is not what everyone wants. I understand it is tough to finalize these details with plan B, and I would be glad to help you or anyone there if you need it with anything you may need. I know you’re fully capable of ironing out all the details but if you need an extra set of hands please call me for anything you may need. I just want this face to face so much I want to cry, lol. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me and to all of us. I can’t wait to teach a group of second grade babies again and for my son and daughter to be back in RWE learning – face to face.”
• “So here’s my idea, keeping the current A/B schedule like it is, I would suggest also having A/B teachers. For example if I was an A teacher, I would come to school on Monday and Tuesday to teach my students in person. Wednesday-Friday I would be teaching them remotely (preferably having the option to work from home if needed). Teacher B would be teaching remotely Monday-Wednesday and in school Thursday and Friday. This would eliminate teachers doing double work like teaching in person all day and coming home to have to work on the remote learning stuff. I feel like this would work for planning effectively too. This would also have half the teachers in the building instead of all of us. Also I think it’s a good idea to do 100% remote until at least labor day and then reassess the situation? It’s just hard to believe we will be in school a month from today and the numbers are still climbing. Just makes me nervous. One more thing lol as a teacher and a mom I believe open house is really important. There needs to be some way to do it so the kids can meet us. This is an unprecedented time. It’s scary and I want the students to know we are there for them. I hope you don’t mind my rambling!! I hope what I said made sense. Thank you so much for listening.”
• “Plan B for elementary. I can not speak for middle and high schools. Elementary students need face to face. Alot of parents can not teach their young ones nor have the time. CDC has the data to back it up that elementary age kids risk and numbers are extremely low. We can take precautions with wearing face shields, cleaning, staying in one room. A daily suggestion 7-9 am get all students to school, taking several bus trips, 9-12 teach core subjects, 12-1 lunch in the classroom, 1-3 bus students home. special area teachers teach 4-5 grade students to lessen the amount in one room.”
• “Hi there! I am an instructional assistant. I feel like Plan B will work! However, I think students should not come back to back days. I feel like group A should come Monday and Tuesday. Group B students should come Tuesday and Friday. And still leave Wednesday for remote learning/cleaning day. I feel like this works best because you can’t expect students to only come two days back to back and expect growth. I believe alternating the days will be better because you have a day of face to face learning, remote learning, and then another face to face day. This way you can review what the students did at home during remote learning to make sure they are understanding the material. Because if they aren’t, you can pull them the same week and go more in depth with them before starting a new topic the next week.”
• “I am ready to go back to teach. Students learn best in a face to face environment. I feel safe and feel safe for my family to go back. However, under plan B families can still choose remote learning entirely. I feel as though everyone needs to choose what is best for their family. Plan B is best for mine but remote learning is best for others. I truly believe the media and data reports are making this way bigger than it is. We are flipping education on its side and making it difficult for so many parties. Looking at mortality rates, less than 1% worldwide has been affected. I am ready to get back in the classroom to help students academically and socially! I worry about all the negatives if we do plan C for students and teachers (student s not able to log in because of working parents, students not doing the work and getting behind, the emotional and mental toll this is taking on the family unit, funding cuts in school systems). A majority of businesses are open with social distancing and safety guidelines. We owe it to our youngest population to at least open for those that are ready! I 100% respect those that are not. Every family unit is different with different needs!”
• “I know personally many teachers who want Plan B but not sure if they follow your page or even feel comfortable sending you a message. I would hate for the president of WCAE to speak on our behalf. I am not a part of this organization and many of my colleagues are not either when I have asked them if they are. I do have first hand knowledge from the district that there were several teachers in the district who did not assign work, did not hold Google Meets and did not put in as many hours during distance learning as you would have during a normal school day. I believe we ALL can agree (teachers, parents and students) that distance learning is not enjoyable, beneficial and conducive for best practices in a learning environment for a majority of the participants, especially for our elementary students. The majority of teachers had anywhere between 50-80% complete their online assignments, which we all know too is not even a true picture of the standards and curriculum they would have had access to in the school building. We have so many students with working parents, students with IEP’s, students who learn best face to face and students who need social interaction. This virus has a mortality rate less than 1% nationwide and worldwide. If you break it down for our youngest population, it is less than that. This virus is more deadly for our elderly population with underlying health issues. I know when I became a teacher, I always wanted to make decisions that were ALWAYS in the best interest of STUDENTS. I am in the business of educating students and I never want to forget that! Their needs should always come before my needs. Look at our world: Pediatrician offices, fast food restaurants, retail shops, lawyers offices, government offices and many other businesses are OPEN! They are ready to work! Working remotely does not work for doctors, restaurants, Wal-mart employees, pharmacists, daycare workers, gas station employees and many others. TEACHERS need to go back and be ready to teach. All other employees do not get that option. Their company communicates that the doors will open for their clientele and then they open, of course with safety procedures in place. I have been an educator since 2004. In the 16 years I have been an educator, I have seen teachers ready to close when the first snowflake hits, when hurricanes come, pushing to close when they want to attend teacher rallies and now with a pandemic. I know ALL of the above hold legitimate concerns for closing but we do have a population that very bluntly enjoys a day off! I believe several teachers had it easy during the pandemic if they were honest. It was hard, it was new territory but many (not all) did not work 40 plus hours a week. Now others saw how much work remote learning was and how it deeply impacted our students academically. As stated, we have over 1,200 in the district. Only 100 have stated concerns according to your last post and how many of those are WCAE members who are getting fed concerns through their president. You stated only less than a dozen have reached out in support of plan B. If we stated 112 have contacted you, then you have roughly only heard feedback from 9% of the teaching population. I would like to implement plan B (it is going to be HARD, the hardest work I probably will have done in 16 years because of so many unknowns) but I ALWAYS believe in the majority rule. If the true majority of teachers don’t feel comfortable in coming back, then I respect that. But how many of those are going into Wal-Mart, doctor’s offices, restaurants, retail stores for their needs? What if these employees did not feel comfortable opening up for their safety? You can’t have your cake and eat it too? Once again, I feel as if plan B is a viable option. If you as an employee truly feel unsafe due to virus concerns, working with people who could share the spread of germs with your loved ones at home, then that is a concern to bring up to your individual administration and HR to work out a plan for you (possibly teaching at the K-12 virtual academy because without knowing all the details we know we are going to have families who prefer all online learning). A large majority of our families are working. They would like the option of sending their child to school to learn in an environment that is better than online learning (no, it is not the environment they left on March 13th, but better than online.) We all, adults and students, thrive on routines and boundaries. I fear for our family units that are not given the choice of plan B and will have to, again leave their child with a grandparent who cannot help them with online learning, deplete their savings to send them to a daycare that can open (yet schools cannot), scramble home to get dinner ready with other chores and sit down to help them with their homework. The stress, the tension and the worry families are facing will have long-lasting effects. The thing I would love for people to understand, with plan B you have the option of online learning completely if you would like but with plan C you don’t have the option of face-to-face learning that so many teachers, students and parents want. As educators, we should be willing to open our school buildings and let parents decide if they are going to come through the doors!”
• “Plan B. And Tiffany Kilgore and so called ‘WCPS” private groups DO NOT represent all opinions. As you can see from the leaders of these groups they are all biased in their own opinions. There is no neutral safe space. Despite what they say ALL OPINIONS ARE NOT WELCOME THERE. What I suspect is the silent majority, as usual, gets ripped to shreds for speaking out. There are definite fears but many are using “fear” as an excuse. We are no different than any other essential workers and do not deserve preferential treatment. Half of the ppl complaining in the group are dragging their kids all over everywhere this summer and then saying they are scared for their families.”
The following is a recap of our interview with WCAE president Tiffany Kilgore:
Wayne County’s teachers are anxious to get back to their classrooms and their students.
But Tiffany Kilgore, president of the Wayne County Association of Educators, said many of the educators she has spoken to do not think the district should consider a hybrid or Plan B model for the return to school this fall.
“Option B is just not viable,” she said. “Option C is the only one that guarantees the safety of our students and our teachers.”
Teachers have been responding to a survey sent out by the school district asking them about the Plan B and Plan C options.
While some are prepared to head back to the classroom, others are worried. The same concerns also came up during an WCAE survey, Kilgore said.
“They are scared,” she said. “And they are scared to say what they really think.”
One of the reasons the teachers are concerned, she added, is that they are worried about their own health concerns and those of their families.
The organization’s president said she has spoken to a number of teachers who have “medically fragile” children or adults in their families, or who suffer from health conditions like asthma or diabetes themselves — both of which increase the risk of serious illness should they catch COVID-19.
“It’s not that they don’t want to go back because they want to stay home,” Kilgore said. “They don’t want to be sick or to make a family member sick.”
She pointed out that Wayne County is one of the counties with the most infections in North Carolina — behind some that contain larger cities.
And she added that the virus’ quick spread through the local prison is another reason for the district to move ahead cautiously.
“I cannot risk colleagues dying,” she said.
Kilgore said more than 180 teachers who responded to the WCAE survey, which she said was done quickly and rushed out to members after the July 4th holiday in preparation for the district’s July 8 Plan B Committee meeting, said they could not return to school because the COVID-19 risk was too high.
She added that WCAE has been included in the talks about Plan B, along with other community members and stakeholders.
The WCAE survey was a quick attempt to get some data and responses from teachers about their feelings on a Plan B return, Kilgore said.
“We have been given a seat at the table,” she said.
Kilgore said she has been assured during two private meetings with Interim Superintendent Dr. James Merrill and school board members Ven Faulk and Chris West that the concerns and input from the district’s teachers and other personnel would be a consideration in the final decision on a reopening plan.
“They want to form a partnership with us,” she said.
When asked if the district’s teachers would be considering a strike if Plan B is implemented, Kilgore said that decision would be made by members if and when the time comes.
She added that a strike would be an extreme reaction and a last-ditch effort if the teachers’ and other staff members’ concerns are ignored.
“We hope that it will not come to that,” she said. “Our county is all about working to do what is best for our teachers and our students.”
Kilgore added that she is also speaking in support of other staff members, critical personnel like bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians — all of whom will be facing the risks of a full return to school head-on, day in and day out.
“They are our schools’ heartbeat,” she said.
Custodians are especially important, Kilgore said, as the district faces the tremendous challenge of having to clean and sanitize schools, classrooms and buses, possibly multiple times throughout the day.
“We already don’t have enough custodians,” Kilgore said. “They are leaving because they can’t earn a livable wage.”
Those who are left, she said, work hard every day to keep the schools clean.
“They do a great job,” Kilgore said.
But they are concerned, she added.
“COVID is not just selecting the weak,” she said. “It is picking off some of our strongest individuals. They think we need to be careful and cautious as we plan for reopening.”
Kilgore acknowledges that for some students, being out of school has had consequences, especially for those in at-risk situations or those who face learning challenges.
She said that teachers and guidance counselors have worked hard to check on those students — and to try to meet their needs.
“We know our at-risk students, and we have staff who really care — counselors and teachers,” she said.
But she also acknowledged that online learning has been imperfect, and that while the district might have come a long way over the last few months, online classes are still not the best choice for all students.
“The internet is a concern,” she said. “The district is working to correct that.”
Parents, Kilgore said, have also struggled to fill in the gaps and to make sure their children kept up on their lessons and homework.
“Parents have faced real challenges,” she said.
And when students come back to school, they will need time to get back into the swing of things, Kilgore said.
“We need to meet them where they are at,” she said. “We should be doing that anyway.”
The bottom line is that teachers want education to be back to normal.
“We miss our students,” Kilgore said. “We want to be there. We love what we do.”
But the risks, she said, need to be taken seriously. While Kilgore hopes that there will be no bad outcomes here, she said the worst-case scenario has to be considered.
“A dead teacher cannot teach, and a dead student cannot learn,” Kilgore said.
Evryone should be considered in this decision. Custodians, secretaries, principals are at risk now. We had to come back to work and no safety is being done. No temperatures are being done. Why is it that noone recognizes us and take us for granted. Teachersand students can be remote but 12-month staff have to work. Where is the fairness and concern in that. We have family members that have health issues also as well as some of us do. We have children that are under age and need help if they go remotely. We are very concern and scared also. If we go remote everyone should go remote. Everyone is important!
After watching this Board meeting, it is obvious that all staff concerns are not even addressed. All our comments are also ignored. It’s a shame it’s going to take teachers to get sick, or even die before the Board wakes up.