Beginning February 15, teachers and students from Wake County will return to learn in person. Many teachers have expressed concern and say it is not yet safe.
“I can’t imagine being such a big system and not feeling that fear and not that fear, so my heart goes out to those people,” said Tonya Smith, a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators.
Smith is a high school teacher in Elkin, western North Carolina, and she has been back in class since October with a modified plan.
“Of course, like everyone else, we’ve had a few cases, but no major outbreaks because our system is very small,” Smith said.
According to the state’s rollout plan, front-line workers, like teachers, are the next group in line for a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I’d like to see us move up a bit, if possible, especially for the larger counties with such a high number of students,” said Smith.
Davie County was one of the first to get many of its teachers vaccinated, and teachers would like to see that happen in other counties. However, Davie County has about 400 teachers, while Wake County has more than 10,000 teachers.
On Thursday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of State for Health and Human Services, said North Carolina should have enough vaccine in a few weeks to vaccinate third-stage residents, including teachers.
Gov. Roy Cooper also announced a proposed one-time bonus to teachers for their hard work and dedication.
“We continue to press the government to give us more vaccine in North Carolina,” he said. “We want to get to teachers and other essential workers as soon as possible.”
“I would love to get my vaccine – 100% yes – but I wouldn’t take it away from someone who has life-threatening problems,” Smith said.
Lisa Luten, the spokeswoman for Wake County schools, says the district continues to advocate for teachers to be vaccinated as soon as possible.