I try my best to avoid politics here, but I wanted to support something that I have been seeing lately. To ignore, would be to condemn people to death which is something I am not about. I posted this on my personal Facebook page, but I feel it is important to post elsewhere as well.
I am continuously concerned about the reopening of schools due to #covid19. I say this of course, as someone who has worked a fair amount in medicine, as a parent, but also as the friend of many, many teachers. I am also one of the remaining survivors from an illness that ran through the preschool system in Hollywood in the early 80s. I was one of my pediatricians few survivors because my mom was observant and reported early. Within two or three hours of me showing signs, I was hospitalized. Most other kids not so lucky.
There are a lot of concerns out there that teachers are being considered or thought of as expendable because they are being forced to reopen schools in person.
To my teacher friends who are being considered expendable, I just want to assure you all that I support you. I don’t consider you expendable and I will do anything possible to support you during this time.
My family did not have much education themselves, but that doesn’t mean my mother didn’t instill a respect of teachers in me. Before I was born, she worked for the school board back when their meetings were broadcast on TV. I went to preschool not because my mother had to go off to work, but because I was an only child and needed socialization.
My mom would later, despite being considered an essential worker, would then be active in my education from then on until I graduated, that included at least one stint as PTA president, lord knows she helped the music teacher get music once when the school couldn’t. Lord knows she helped do the same for a social studies class in middle school when Ms Clark couldn’t get a song (actually I think Mom ended up getting the copy of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” through Mindy Lang).
Lord knows she shuttled me and others to math competitions, drama competitions, etc. She was always there for any of that. Now she is doing similar with my daughter although a lot of the details of what she is doing elude me, but i know she was leader of an advisory council for the Gifted and Talented program which was put up by the school board. She continues to do all this even though she is an essential worker. I don’t think she ever missed a time to help if someone asked, even when she was a single parent collecting like $120 a month and working a full time job and a part time job to make ends meet.
I tell you this because so many parents are uninvolved in their students education and they are not essential employees. They look at schools as a free place to dump their kids for a certain amount of time a day and I am not sure what they are doing during that time. Some are likely working. Some are likely not. Education is supposed to be a partnership… at least two way, and then three way once the kid becomes old enough to have a say.
Instead you all, you teachers, end up having to take responsibility for anywhere from say 20 to 200 kids. Some might have IEPs, some might have other issues, some might have different struggles. That’s a lot of work. You take work home with you and heaven help if you have your own kids. You guys are in charge of the bulk of all of this.
I don’t understand why parents aren’t involved more and I don’t want to make assumptions about what people are or are not doing all day. I can likely say that their kids are the furthest thing from most of their minds. And this tends to be reflected at home as well and gets passed down from generation to generation as far as what a teacher is and what they are good for.
The mindset of glorified babysitters is why likely one reason why you get paid jack-diddly in comparison to other equivalent professionals. How much is a babysitter going for nowadays for say one or two kids per hour? I assure you, it’s more than a teacher is making.
I’m sure the other reasons of the low salary are because of the history of teaching in the US, being short term employment for single women, but that is it’s own thing. Of course that idea of schools being there for childcare and not education doesn’t help and causes schools to be considered expendable and your funding decreases year after year while you daily run the risk of getting shot at. And you do this because you love your job. Bless you for it.
And now you are being forced back into the classroom so people can go back to work to keep corporate America going.
I am scared for you.
I am scared for you because the schools are already overcrowded and 6 feet away will prove near impossible in the best of situations.
I’m scared for you because there are kids already don’t listen because they are kids.
I’m scared for you because of the kids who refuse to wear masks because their parents don’t believe in them.
I’m scared for you because of the fact that most kids (especially the boys) rarely wash their hands much less for 20 seconds. Let’s not discuss soap or lack there of!
I’m scared for you that parents may hide a positive diagnosis or signs so they can send the kids.
I’m scared for you because you are already exposed to so much stuff because parents would many times rather send a kid to school sick, than let them stay home. And that can be as little as just the common cold, much less this.
I’m scared that you are now going to likely have to provide your own hand sanitizer assuming you can get it at all. And you will likely have to have spare masks for one reason or another.
I’m scared for you that these kids will be exposed to lord knows what and then pass it on to you giving you a higher viral load which means you’re more likely to get sick.
I’m scared for you that just one sick student can cause an outbreak in your school. Then it is passed on and spreads to others quickly, then spreads to other schools. Think of what happened before chicken pox had a vaccine. Think of what happens when someone has lice now.
I’m scared for those of you who are older or have pre-existing conditions who are putting your lives even more at risk.
I’m scared for those of you who have elderly parents or grandparents. Even more so if they stay with you. I fear for the children who could unknowingly kill their grandparents because they live with them.
I’m scared for you of what happens when there is a positive test among the teachers. What happens then?
I am scared for you if this becomes even more political than it already is and if you are forced to not wear a mask.
I am scared for you that this means you may be attending the funerals of students, colleagues, friends, and family members. Deaths that could have been prevented.
I’m not only scared for you.
I’m scared for myself and for my family. My grandmother is 88 and sick. My daughter lives with her. My mother is also high risk. Everyone in my family is high risk. I am scared for the students who are at risk and their at risk family members. Some of these people have not been exposed to death really and now they may lose several in such a short time just because people insist on opening the schools.
I recognize that not all students do well online. Some LDs don’t do well. I have a disability and I do better online than in-person.
I recognize that not all parents can help students who are virtual. Maybe it is their own lack of education in that area. I do recognize however that home schooling without formally educated teachers has been doable for years. I know there are tons are resources out there already to help with most issues. Free classes, free tutoring, etc.
I recognize that not all students have everything they need. Some school districts have been supplying the basics. We do need help for some of this but some of this was already spent in spring.
I recognize that some parents are essential (working up to 80 or 100 hours a week) and that they have young children, no family, and need help with child care and teaching the kids. Those people I am also concerned for. They are not the majority.
Most people however are not essential employees. There are 40 million Americans out of work and no jobs to be had. Why are jobs the reason we need to reopen in-person schools so you can risk your life?
1% of the US is infected by Covid. This is likely not going to get better by fall and in fact economies are shutting back down again, but yet you are expected to go to work for a job that can be mostly done virtually.
All of this discussion could have been prevented but those children who were the trouble makers not listening in class so long ago are now adults doing the same. And this time it is potentially deadly. If we had waited on reopening, fall might have been safe to reopen schools with minimal risk.
I feel for you just like I feel for the EMTs who are out there working while not having health care and not having PPE all while specifically being ignored in the “thank yous” they are giving doctors and nurses. We (I am also EMS) are also treated as expendable.
You all are not expendable. Not as your profession, not as your life in general. Never let people tell you or treat you as you are. You are the ones in charge of the next generation. You are the ones who are making a difference while you have barely any funding and get paid nothing. You deserve to be treated like professionals and not glorified babysitters risking their lives for nothing.
Perhaps just let a few teachers come to campus to deal with the students who legitimately cannot do another way. Those with special needs for example. If one can keep 90% of teachers and students pure virtual, this could save so many people. Teachers, students, etc. My school district would have only one school in summer teaching one particular course (drivers ed) and everyone had to go there to take it. A similar thing could be done if needed.
People have been using BLM for black lives matter to protest the various racism and murders by the police against black folks. I get that. I support that. However, I propose one to support protecting our teachers during covid in anyway that we can … #TeachersLivesMatter #TLM assuming it has not already been used in this way. Feel free to share this post or this idea if you find it useful.
If any teacher needs anything or someone to talk to, please let me know. I will do anything I can to help you during this time.
Teachers have always gotten the student discount here and I intend to always support teachers by offering it.
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified life coach and hypnotherapist serving Atlanta GA, Augusta GA, Statesboro GA, and Savannah GA. He performs hypnotherapy and life coaching appointments both in person and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
