Health and safety, Legislation, Well-being of school community

August 2023

Well-Being of School Community: Public Health Concerns

Illnesses including Covid, the flu and various other viruses are circulating as schools open their doors to students and staff. As members of school communities contract illnesses, educators are critiquing the lack of Covid policies, insufficient allocated PTO/sick days and the absence of public health leadership.

• “3rd week of school & already everybody is coming down sick but don’t worry everything is fine.” —Middle School Teacher in Georgia
  • “Last year I tested positive the first week of school. Debating getting a booster before I go back or wait for the vaccine for the new variant.” —Educator, N/A
  • “We’re seeing an uptick in Covid cases. I had at least 10 out across 4 classes today.” —Middle School Teacher in Tennessee
• “In the absence of true public health leadership, we lead where we can. I am the PTA president at my children’s school. In that position I educate families & provide free resources to keep our community safer. This morning I gave away an entire case of Covid tests to families.” —Math Educator in California
• “Every school board in America needs to approve COVID time for students and staff right now. It’s so negligent to ignore this.” —High School English Teacher in Texas
  • “I just had this conversation this morning because no one has sick time or PTO left after the last few years. It’s twisted. All of it.” —Educator in Nevada
  • “We have a five-day contagious disease leave for staff and teachers. If they go through the DHHS and get a letter they get 5 days paid CDL. But that’s only if they test. We do not test students. We do not test staff. We do not require health checks. If you have it, It will spread.” —High School Educator in North Carolina
  • “Some Kentucky school districts are closing for covid already.” —Teacher in Kentucky
  • “Between caretaking, menstruating, and COVID, teachers need more time off for mental and physical health and safety.” —Teacher in California
  • “We have to use our leave and we have to have a doctor’s note to miss 3 or more days. It used to be 7. I used all my leave last year because of Covid and pneumonia.” —Teacher in Texas
  • “Yup. We were just informed that covid would be coming out of our personal sick time again.” —Middle School Teacher, N/A
  • “Just got my first round of Covid last week from preplanning. And my daughter caught it too. I missed the first week of school and luckily I had enough sick days to cover it. Not everyone does.” —Teacher in Florida
  • “Ours said that COVID bank days are gone and if we are sick we have to use our own days and then also said we need to increase staff and student attendance.” —ELA Teacher, N/A
  • “We have a lot of teachers out with COVID right now and they’re having to use sick time. I am so scared that I’m next and I can’t afford to lose money on my already abysmal check.” —Middle School Teacher in Florida
• “Last school year, my students had far more sick days than any previous school year in my 20+ years of teaching. I wish the people [complaining] about increased absenteeism spent some of that [complaining] time pushing for improved ventilation and air purification.” —Elementary Teacher in New York
• “Several students missed the first days of school because of the ‘Rona…” —High School English Teacher in Texas
• “​​Week 2 of the semester and I’m already taking (at least) 2 days off because my daughter & husband have confirmed COVID and my baby is symptomatic & getting tested within the hour. Thinking a lot about 2024 and how I cannot vote for people who are okay putting my kids at risk.” —High School English Teacher in Texas
• “Schools do so very little to prevent Covid, which is what makes our work so risky. Most of us lack HEPA filters or proper ventilation. We can’t enforce masks, vaccs, or distancing. We can’t work from home. We just hope that folks are making responsible choices.” —Elementary Teacher in New York
• “In the absence of true public health leadership, we lead where we can. I am the PTA president at my children’s school. In that position I educate families & provide free resources to keep our community safer. This morning I gave away an entire case of Covid tests to families.” —Teacher in California
• “A co-worker tested positive for Covid on Monday. She notified admin and was told we no longer have a Covid policy – you either come to work with a mask or you use leave. So she came to work yesterday, wearing a paper mask, and then attended a district level PD. And so it begins.” —Teacher, N/A
  • That brief moment in time when teachers were heroes during 2020 has quickly evolved into not having leave time available for a potentially deadly disease, so spreading it amongst kids & staff members is an acceptable option. My villain origin story has officially begun.” —Educator in Nevada
  • “Yep. People have been getting covid left and right at my school. We’re in week 3. I got COVID a couple of weeks before school began and I’m hoping that I’ll at least be immune for a couple of months. So many teachers and students are coming down with it around me. No Covid leave.” —Educator in Florida
    • “We’re exactly in the same boat. I just recovered from it before school started but lots of “not covid” going around the district.” —Educator in Nevada
• “Soooo does DCPS have COVID-19 guidance for this year? Because it’s only PD week and I already tested positive this morning. 🫠 Can’t seem to find a SY23-24 updated covid protocol anywhere.” —Special Education Teacher in Washington, DC