Teachers worried about health & safety of kids, themselves ahead of upcoming year

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — As families and students anticipate the long-awaited decision about plans for the upcoming school year, teachers have their own set of unknowns.

As a retired New Hanover County Schools teacher, Barbara Anderson knows the concerns that come along with a normal school year all too well. This year, she has dozens of other thoughts going through her head, from balancing the safety of the students to the safety of the teachers as well. 

“I could see us opening schools up in August and we’ll be down again very quickly,” Anderson said.

Time is running out for the state to announce a decision on the plans for the 2020-2021 year for K-12 public schools, with less than six weeks until the start of the year.

“It seems to me that this is not a prudent time,” Anderson said. “I’m not saying kids shouldn’t go back. It’s important that they do go back, but is this really the safest time to send them back?”

Anderson has a slew of concerns about how schools will look and how teachers will operate this year.

The state laid out three potential plans for reopening schools, but has yet to decide which plan schools will follow.

“We already have a plan for A,” she said. “That’s what we’ve always done with the exception of social distancing and extended cleaning. I think that would be a disaster.”

Anderson taught children in grades K-5, and says it’s already a challenge to maintain cleanliness and distance on a regular basis. On the other hand, she says a fully virtually learning plan is harder for younger children.

“I think the school systems need to be given the flexibility to determine what fits best for the age group they’re trying to reach,” she said.

The former educator says she would push for the hybrid school plan, with partial in-person learning and partial remote learning. But she adds, that still poses distancing concerns.

“Some of our schools or elementaries have 500 students in them, so how are you going to put 50% of 500 students in there plus staff everyday?” Anderson said.

Anderson says there are so many moving parts from the start of a school day to the end, and every decision ties together.

“That and the emotional toll on an instructor if one of their students die because they became infected while in school,” she said.

For teachers, Anderson says it’s another unimaginable responsibility that will come with reopening schools.

“This is a decision and scenario that is almost impossible,” she said.

New Hanover County Schools issued several surveys for families and staff, plus a community input form. The surveys will remain open until Friday.