Name: Mississippi educators surveyed overwhelmingly vote against traditional return to school
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Mississippi educators surveyed overwhelmingly vote against traditional return to school

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JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - Educators in Mississippi have been voicing concerns as many schools are set to return to the classroom as early as next week.In a sent to educators across the state by the Mississippi Association of Educators, only 18.2% of those surveyed voted for a traditional return to school for the upcoming school year. The rest of the survey results were mostly spit between those advocating for virtual learning and those wanting a hybrid plan.“While it has been our hope that school buildings could open in a few short weeks, it has become abundantly clear that we are in no position to proceed as planned. We cannot, and should not, rush back into buildings simply to comply with the current calendared start date when students’ and educators’ health and safety are at risk,” said MAE in a statement.The MAE is now calling on state leaders to step in and provide guidance instead of relying on individual districts to make the call.“Educators are fearful for our health and the health of our students. We are worried about our families and our students’ families. With the number of COVID cases growing daily, the absence of leadership from our state’s top education officials has been disheartening to say the least. We are in the midst of a statewide crisis, and while we would typically defer to a school district knowing their communities’ specific needs better than anyone, this is markedly different. It is now time for the Department of Education to step in and provide meaningful, standardized guidance,” said MAE in a statement.Nearly 95% of educators agree that state-issued standardized testing should also be suspended for the 2020-2021 academic year.“After enduring an unsettled spring and summer and facing the possibility of even more disruptions to their lives inside and outside the classroom, students and educators should be focused on remediation and mental health upon returning to school. This is no time to put unnecessary stressors on our kids and their teachers,” stated the MAE.Nearly 2,400 educators from all 82 counties in the state responded to the survey, representing a cross section of thousands of educators in various capacities, including teachers, assistants, and administrators.In an open-ended question that allowed those surveyed to express their concerns in their own words, MAE said 86.3% of respondents expressed a negative sentiment about a traditional return to school buildings.Some of the responses included the following statements, said MAE:“Respondents expressed feelings of unease and tension about a return to the classroom and, in the case of virtual learning, concerns about their ability to keep up with the demands of a new work environment. Respondents also cited their own medical histories, including pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the health of their family, and the health of students as primary concerns.”“I’m not interested in learning a new normal. I’m not interested in doing double the work for the small amount of money we make. Nothing is possible without teachers yet we’re expected to be miracle workers.”“One death from trying to learn is too many. This is a Global Pandemic and we should acknowledge the scope of this problem.”“I think that it is dangerous to open schools in a traditional sense when the number of positive cases are still rising. Sending a thousand children into a building all at once is not a good idea. It’s dangerous for students as well as the educators. It’s dangerous for the families of anyone associated with schools as well.”MAE’s RecommendationsIn addition to request that state-mandated tests be waived this year, MAE has made the following recommendations for districts to consider before reopening schools:1. Mandated mask use in all schools.2. All students, educators, and volunteers have access to proper training and protective gear. Educators should be provided with face shields so that students can see non-verbal facial cues. This is critical from a classroom management perspective and is an important part of a child’s development.3. Schools have the cleaning supplies and custodial staff required to ensure buildings are being cleaned and disinfected according to CDC guidelines.4. All education support professionals, such as maintenance workers and custodial staff, have resources and training needed to maintain clean campuses and schools.5. A plan to have students’ temperatures taken before entering the building or boarding a bus must be developed.6. Access to testing for students and educators who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.If a full physical return to school is deemed unsafe and virtual learning or hybrid learning plans are implemented, MAE has the following recommendations:1. Internet access and devices such as laptops are provided equitably for every educator and student household.2. Materials, such as packets or books, are provided as alternatives to digital resources to ensure all students have access to high-quality instructional content.3. All families receive appropriate lessons for students to complete at home based on grade level and ability (inclusive of physical education, music, arts, and other enrichment areas) as well as information on how to facilitate student learning, including online tutorials and access to educators or experts who can assist them.4. Schools engage all educators in crafting and communicating distance and digital learning plans.5. Schools communicate with all educators and the families of students with specials needs related to implementing plans for the continuation of services.6. Schools communicate procedures with all students—particularly those whose educational progress, such as third grade promotion or high school graduation—that has the potential to be particularly disrupted by extended school closures.7. Students have safe and reliable access to school counselors and social workers and can safely report abuse and bullying in the pandemic crisis.8. All students and families have safe, reliable, and affordable access to community healthcare and equitable access to supplemental assistance programs for food, transportation, and housing.9. All students have a timely, secure, and confidential way to ask educators or other trusted persons for help if their health, safety, or well-being is under threat—including those who may not have access to the internet.10. Schools provide clear communication with all educators regarding closures and work expectations on a regular basis and provide training on effective techniques to prepare and deliver successful distance and digital learning.11. All educators have a secure way to submit feedback and grade reports to all students and families without compromising student data privacy or information security—including those who may not have access to the internet.12. All educators are consulted on how to assign grades, keeping in mind factors such as student access to digital and/or alternative educational content or other extenuating personal circumstances.To read the survey results in full, click .Copyright 2020 WLOX. All rights reserved.

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - Educators in Mississippi have been voicing concerns as many schools are set to return to the classroom as early as next week.In a sent to educators across the state by the Mississippi Association of Educators, only 18.2% of those surveyed voted for a traditional return to school for the upcoming school year. The rest of the survey results were mostly spit between those advocating for virtual learning and those wanting a hybrid plan.“While it has been our hope that school buildings could open in a few short weeks, it has become abundantly clear that we are in no...

Mississippi educators surveyed overwhelmingly vote against traditional return to school

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