Teachers in TN and GA can stay on job even if covid exposed

Well, I can only go by what the nurse I spoke with said. The office person called, I gave them the info, she had me speak with a nurse who told me to reschedule. Not sure what to tell you, but these are medical professionals, just like you. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I understand what you’re saying about fear and panic. However, as others have said, schools and hospitals are not the same. I work as a para at an elementary school, we’re going back in person 5 days a week, all of the kids. For many reasons, I would prefer to be in person. But, I’m concerned right now that it’s not safe. I’m more concerned about my co workers and teachers who are high risk or live with someone who is at risk. Hospitals are so much better prepared to deal with the virus from ventilation to sanitizing to PPE to restricting access to testing patients before they’re admitted (labor & delivery & elective surgeries). My family is in a similar situation to freecharlie, my dh is a nurse practitioner in family practice, we’re more worried that I will bring the virus home from school.

Districts. We haven't had an employee die yet. Maybe it won't matter.

After 3 days in and a super small class, I've identified areas that I need to watch because of how much I move around, change seats, grab a pen, reading glasses, get a drink of water, touch papers so I need to clean my desk. It'd be safest for me to just stay behind my desk and collect nothing. I can't imagine having 20 kids in a room barely spaced out. My class is the size of an A group if we went A/B. If I had more kids, I'd be so busy with crowd control that remember to wipe my pens or desk down could likely be forgotten. There's a large chance of exposure. One teacher could potentially take out a few staff members. We've had a janitor with it, so I suppose they were comfortable around others in the summer and didn't worry much. I've noticed some staff doing similar things in classrooms.

Kids need to sanitize on the playground before putting their masks back on. Not sure anyone has thought of that yet. Thankfully the bus drivers sanitize since the kids walk down the stairs and some touch the rails. Ew!

I’m not sure why you (a health care worker!) can’t seem to tell the difference between “wanting to avoid exposure to an illness that can potentially kill me, my parents, or cause permanent heart/lung damage in my kids” and “terror.”

I’m not terrorized, but I’m also not an idiot. You sound like the Trump Humpers on my NextDoor who don’t want to wear masks in public because it makes them feel like pussies. They routinely accuse the rest of us of being “terrorized.” I guess it’s the ultimate right-wing insult or something.

I’m sorry you have to be exposed to this virus at work. That’s why the rest of us are always calling health care workers and first responders heroes. It doesn’t mean we need to deliberately expose our children, our teachers, and by extension, their families, their children, too.

Our schools are virtual for now, and I’m glad they are.

Thank you for clarifying, and I appreciate that.

Teachers are NOT about spreading fear and negativity. We want nothing more than to be back in school, because teaching virtually is like being first year teachers all over again. Every lesson requires redesign. Teachers are spending hours upon hours to make this work (while being told at the same time that taxpayers should get refunds since parents are “doing all the teaching.”)

We are just 100% used to being completely fucked over, told to deal, told to make do with what we get, told to figure it out. And we can manage that, even if we shouldn’t, when it’s not something that could kill us or our families. And now we’re being told, once again, by our president and by many people (even here) to suck it up and deal with it. Again. Teach hybrid AND online. Oh, no same pay. With some hand sanitizer and maybe one cloth mask. Maybe. 

We’re required to conduct contact tracing for potential exposure because it’s literally the only thing we have. There is NO testing. None. No required testing. Just... hey, maybe you have it?  

Honestly, I am SO tired of being called superheroes. You know what happens to superheroes in every story? The same thing that’s happening to teachers. The people need us when they need us, forget about us when they don’t, and when things aren’t perfect, they turn on us and make us the villains. 

We’re done being superheroes. Please treat us like humans deserving of the respect that comes with helping to raise this country’s children.

Sing it. I am right there with you today. Anger doesn't even begin to cover it.

This all could have been avoided if our country had taken this seriously back in March.