Around AEA
FALL 2020 | ADVOCATE 7
Sources:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-education/2020/08/13/teachers-resign-queen-creek-jo-combs-districts-plan-person-reopenings-coronavirus/3365854001/
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/840191
https://www.12news.com/article/news/education/queen-creek-parents-teachers-worried-about-in-person-classes-and-covid-19-waiver/75-17eaf772-2dcf-46aa-982f-9bd9a909ece2
https://www.abc15.com/news/getting-back-to-school/east-valley-educators-worried-after-district-confirms-multiple-covid-19-cases
https://www.12news.com/video/news/education/queen-creek-hs-student-opting-for-online-learning-after-one-day-of-in-person-classes/75-5ca2e0c4-529b-4a20-bdd6-8b65e5d22226
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/queen-creek-requiring-teachers-come-work-teach-online-campus-11487169
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert-education/2020/08/17/queen-creek-schools-wont-enforce-masks-every-student-class-resumes-in-person-monday/5593397002/
https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/cbs_5_investigates/queen-creek-school-district-may-face-chaos-on-monday/article_7ab7a1b4-dd26-11ea-86c2-234b2f828485.html
"There are legitimate challenges with remote learning, but I
would rather deal with those than the fear of who's sick and who's
on a ventilator," says Nelson.
Get the Details Right First
Although J.O. Combs school board members said they were
reopening schools because parents wanted schools open, many
parents said they appreciated how teachers are taking a stand for
community safety.
Parent Lila Gonzalez has two students, a kindergarten and
seventh grader. "I didn't even know [reopening in-person] was on
the table!" she says.
Gonzalez, a nursing student who previously taught, says
she appreciates teachers' questions about safety protocols. For
example, how is lunch going to work? Where are the sanitizing
stations and how often will they be used? "Every little detail
matters here," she says. "I would like for them to hold off a little
bit, at least until September, to figure this out."
She adds, "This is not about teachers not wanting to go back.
They want to be safe—safe for themselves, safe for their families,
and most of all, their students. They want clear guidelines on
keeping people safe."
The bottom line is, "We shouldn't be open if we haven't met
the state guidelines from the health department," mother of three
Heidi Swinney told the Arizona Republic.
Lives Are at Stake
Although schools are closed, teachers don't feel like they've won
anything, says Nelson. This is farthest thing from a win-win
situation. With schools closed, students aren't learning. But if
schools open, people could die.
"It's a s*@! sandwich," he says. "The question is which
end we bite."
On Facebook and other social media, Nelson and
his colleagues have been attacked as anti-American, as
lazy, as unwilling to work, and worst of all, as uncaring
about kids. During the August 19 board meeting, Nelson
other educators were screamed at and verbally abused by
community members, with one parent coughing on them as
they walked by to speak during the meeting.
"It's disheartening. It's terrifying. And I don't hate the
other side. I don't think most of us do. We just believe that
we're not ready. We're not asking to stop anything, we're
asking to slow down and prepare better."
Yes, many students are suffering while out of school, but
educators will deal with those effects, he promises. "We have ways
to deal with the social toll. We don't have ways to deal with this
virus," says Nelson.
"I'm not happy about any of this. There's nothing to dance in
the streets about here," he says. "We didn't draw this line or take a
stand to win something. We fought this because we truly believe
lives are at stake.
"If you put one person in harm's way, and you can avoid it?
Then avoid it!"
Teachers Resign in East Valley District
Educators faced a similar dilemma in Queen Creek Unified
School District when classes resumed in person on August 17.
"The numbers we were seeing for the COVID infection
rate back in May was alarming, as was what was happening in
schools that were trying to open," says Queen Creek Education
Association President Jacob Frantz. "Everything we know about
COVID says that classrooms are ideal conditions for it to spread,
and our district leadership doesn't seem to appreciate that."
Despite the resignation of several teachers, including Frantz,
the identification of positive COVID cases on campus, and the
health benchmarks not being met according to the Arizona
Department of Health Services school reopening benchmarks
released last month, the District has continued to put educators
and students in harm's way.
Frantz' advice for educators: "Stay on top of your school board
elections."
