Published: 12/20/2020 2:57:02 PM I have seen several articles and letters lately in this newspaper and elsewhere blaming teachers’ ...
Published: 12/20/2020 2:57:02 PM
I have seen several articles and letters lately in this newspaper and elsewhere blaming teachers’ unions for the fact that students are not currently attending full-time, in-person school. While it is easy and tempting to make this kind of broad-brush assertion, it is not universally accurate.
In the Mohawk Trail district, our teachers and paraprofessionals have been active, flexible partners in creating and implementing our return-to-learn plans. Their participation has made our planning process better, not longer.
No, all of our students are not attending in person on all days, but the most important impediment to that is COVID-19. Because of COVID, we must have the space (adequately ventilated space) to accommodate all students at 6 feet of physical distance; we must have more staff to fill current openings and new positions, given that one class of 24 now must become two, separately taught classes of 12; and we must have the financial resources to overcome these and other obstacles.
Teaching and learning in a pandemic is hard from both a planning and implementation perspective. Parents are frustrated, administrators are frustrated, and teachers are frustrated. But in our district teachers and administrators have been doing an amazing job. Making one group a scapegoat for these frustrations is neither accurate nor helpful.
This letter presents my personal thoughts, not necessarily those of the Mowhawk Trail Regional School Committee.
Martha Thurber
Chair Mohawk Trail Regional School Committee
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