We applaud the Clarke County district office for valuing students’ lives, but when will our leaders understand that in order to nurture students, they must give their teachers, mentors and coaches the same respect?
Please consider us. Teachers’ working conditions affect students’ learning conditions, after all. This fall, it appears Clarke County students may not be learning from many working parent teachers, because our input, it would seem, has been ignored. Involve us in our collective challenges. Support us, so we can do what we do best.
In the Spring of 2020, Clarke County teachers adopted a new schedule without hesitancy during an international pandemic. We worked strange hours because many of our students act as childcare for their younger siblings in our Title 1 district. Our students would teach their siblings, or work jobs to provide for their families, or sleep until noon, and we would teach them whenever they reached out. We Google Met with students faithfully, and late into the night we answered all sorts of students’ questions. For example:
“My father lost his job. We aren’t getting a stimulus check because he is undocumented. We need to open a bank account, but the bank refuses to cash this check. Could you help?”
“ I lost my scholarship because of the Coronavirus. I’m embarrassed to ask so late, but could you write a recommendation by tomorrow?”
“ I had to move in with my mom throughout the quarantine, and I‘m angry. Can you find me a counselor?”
“We can’t make our rent payment. What should we do?”
When the world shocked our student’s lives, we stood in the gap without question, and continued to support and educate them.
Last week, the Clarke County School District announced we would begin school after Labor Day, and that our district would remain digital for all grade levels.
Teachers were thrilled. We had 50 days to prepare to teach virtually. We were determined to do it right. Please note as evidence, social media posts of teachers buying supplies to build at home classrooms, with whiteboards and decorations. Alongside teachers’ efforts, Facebook groups sprang up overnight to demand “public pandemic pods,” where children of similar ages would learn in small groups in community spaces. Many teachers volunteered their time to go into those spaces and tutor.
Just yesterday, the wind was knocked out of our sails, when we were told (five days after the rest of this county’s parents) that we had to secure childcare so that we could come to our buildings to teach digitally five days a week beginning directly after Labor Day (Phase 3). Why? So that we could deliver synchronous instruction on Zoom in our classrooms on a fixed schedule with mandatory teacher attendance. This model is certainly not equitable.
Teachers now have a short two weeks to find childcare, as we report to work when Phase 2 begins, in advance of online classes. We were told, if we couldn’t come to the building and teach, we had to have a doctor’s note proving pre-existing conditions or apply for the Federal FFCRA extensions that provide two weeks of paid leave and 10 weeks of ⅔ paid leave for parents when their child’s school is closed and telework is not available. Many teachers are rightly concerned about this policy. The community had 53 days to secure childcare, when teachers had only two weeks.
CCSD is an employer after all, and has every right to have us work our contracted hours. But why did they not treat us as professionals, and tell us early enough to find a safe place for our children? Requiring us to work five days a week in our brick and mortar classroom doesn’t make sense when there are no elementary or middle schools open in this city. Many parents need to be at home for their elementary age children as they negotiate digital learning.
The best case scenario according to the scientific community is that we stay at Phase 1, fully virtual. However if this is not received, we propose staying at Phase 2. As long as the students are not back in the school house, we should only be required to come into the building twice a week. This way, CCSD will ensure that precious childcare spaces are left for parents who cannot do their jobs remotely, and reduce the number of staff that is in our school buildings at any given time, lowering all of our risk of contracting Covid-19.
From over 100 proud educators,
Brent Andrews, Cedar Shoals High School
Stephanie Arford, Early Learning Center
Jan Arnolds, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Melissa Authement, Barrow Elementary School
Grace Ayer, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Amit Bharucha, Cedar Shoals High School
Caroline Bharucha, Cedar Shoals HighSchool
Jennifer Biddle, Whit Davis Elementary School
Michelle Beatty, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Felix Bell, Coile Middle School
Kelli Bivins, Cedar Shoals High School
Alana Blankenship, Clarke Middle School
Anna Bray, WhiteheadRoad Elementary School
Allison Brown, Howard B Stroud Elementary School
Jill Buchanan, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Dila Chambers, WhiteHead Road Elementary School
Angie Chambliss, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Brittany Dillard, Cleveland Road Elementary School
Marina Doneda, Barrow Elementary School
Bianca Douglas, Barrow Elementary School
Marie Eskridge, Coile Middle School
Amy Evans, Chase Street Elementary
Jesse Evans, Cedar Shoals High School
Sayward Evans, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Washonda Foote, Cleveland Road Elementary School
Rita Foretich, Barrow Elementary School
Aaron M Farnham, Cedar Shoals High School
Natalie Ferando, Chase Street Elementary School
Jennifer Arca Fishburn, Clarke Middle School
Bethany Forester, Alps Road Elementary School
Heather Garland, Clarke Central High School
Lori Garrett- Hatfield, Cleveland Road Elementary School
Rachel Gauna, Whit Davis Elementary School
Marc Ginsberg, Cedar Shoals High School
Rebecca Glenie, Clarke Middle School
Kira Graves, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Christine Graziano, Cedar Shoals High School
Sarah Ghosheh, Whitehead Road Elementary
Ariel Gordon, Cedar Shoals High School
Kim Green, Whit Davis Elementary School
Bri Harnish, Whit Davis Elementary School
Sparkle Harper, Barrow Elementary School
Stephen Hinson, Retired Clarke Central High School
Greg Huberty, Cedar Shoals High School
Tanya Hudson, Chase Street Elementary School
Laura Lee Johnson, Cedar Shoals High School
Graham Jarboe, Clarke Middle School
Jennifer Jones, WhiteHead Road Elementary School
Lauren Knowleton, Whit Davis Elementary School
Lindsey Lush, Chase Street Elementary
Karen Macdonald, Whit Davis Elementary School
Marci Maglitz, Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School
Joey Marrow, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Kelly Mason, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Stephanie Maxwell, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Shanna McGettigan, Whitehead Road Elementary
Ashley Morgan, Whit Davis Elementary School
Sarah Mundy, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Hannah Parr, Clarke Middle School
Kyrsta Pokosk, Early Learning Center
Jennifer Pope, Whit Davis Elementary School
Joy Smith, Howard B Stroud Elementary School
Lee-Ann Stinger, Cleveland Road Elementary School
Heather Jarboe, Whit Davis Elementary
Jennifer Jones, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Joakima Johnson, Early Learning Center
Katie Johnson, Cedar Shoals High School
Heather Parish Julian, Clarke Central High School
Cherly Makemson, Cedar Shoals High School
Kelly Mason, WhiteHead Road Elementary
Andy Plemmons, Barrow Elementary School
Michelle Rabold, Clarke Middle School
Allison Moody, Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School
Megan Moriarty, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Grant Moro, Cedar Shoals High School
Sheena Mason Moro, Cedar Shoals High School
Ashley Na, Clarke Middle School
Brenden Nordgren, Cedar Shoals High School
Evelyn Rushing, Whit Davis Elementary School
Paul Selew, Coile Middle School
Catherine Shinholser, Chase Street Elementary School
Mudiwa Smith, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Allison Still, Whit Davis Elementary
Sarah Parido, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Tina Patterson, Clarke Middle School
Amanda Price, Clarke Central High School
Cori Pringle, Clarke Central High School
Brenda Poss, Retired Cedar Shoals High School
Melanie Powers, Whitehead Road Elementary School
Ashley Purnell, Cleveland Road Elementary School
Ginger Stickney, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School
Gabrielle Tull, Gaines Elementary School
Mayra Velez, Early Learning Center
Amy Walden, Clarke Middle School
Amy Walker, Whit Davis Elementary School
Ashli Walker, Cedar Shoals High School
Keith Weaver, Barrow Elementary School
Antonia Welch, Gaines School Elementary School
Raquel Wymbs, Early Learning Center
Quentori Wynder, Howard B. Stroud Elementary
Lauren Wood, Hilsman Middle School
Chris Woodward, Clarke Middle School