Guilford County Schools knowing putting teachers in danger to appease a small group of parents. I’m a teacher in an adaptive classroom. This type of classroom services approximately 1 percent of the student population. Recently the guilford county school board under pressure of parents and administration voted to allow these students to return to in person instruction. The superintendent stated these students are unable to access the curriculum online due to the severity of their disability. However, it was failed to mention that these students often are unable to wear masks, are also the most hands on students to teach, and most medically fragile students in the county. Recent studies suggest students with cognitive disabilities are three times more likely to die from COVID-19. Recent emails to gcs staff state teachers can not be alone in their own classroom or outside without a mask on. However in the self contained classroom students are not required to wear mask or social distance. In addition, often at least 3 teachers are required in the classroom at all times. When specialist such as speech therapist and physical therapist enter the classroom their can be 5 adults and 8 students in the classroom. Making this situation so dangerous is that fact that these medically fragile students are often unable to wear masks. These students are cognitively unaware that they are in a dangerous situation. They have no idea about the current pandemic, no idea about how diseases are spread, and are placed in a room for 8 hours with totally unaware they are in danger. This is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. I write this out of concern for both teachers and students.
Guilford County Schools knowing putting teachers in danger to appease a small group of parents. I’m a teacher in an adaptive classroom. This type of classroom services approximately 1 percent of the student population. Recently the guilford county school board under pressure of parents and administration voted to allow these students to return to in person instruction. The superintendent stated these students are unable to access the curriculum online due to the severity of their disability. However, it was failed to mention that these students often are unable to wear masks, are also the most hands on students to teach, and most medically fragile students in the county. Recent studies suggest students with cognitive disabilities are three times more likely to die from COVID-19. Recent emails to gcs staff state teachers can not be alone in their own classroom or outside without a mask on. However in the self contained classroom students are not required to wear mask or social distance. In addition, often at least 3 teachers are required in the classroom at all times. When specialist such as speech therapist and physical therapist enter the classroom their can be 5 adults and 8 students in the classroom. Making this situation so dangerous is that fact that these medically fragile students are often unable to wear masks. These students are cognitively unaware that they are in a dangerous situation. They have no idea about the current pandemic, no idea about how diseases are spread, and are placed in a room for 8 hours with totally unaware they are in danger. This is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. I write this out of concern for both teachers and students.