Q: What changes have you made in your classroom? In your everyday life?

A: “I bought two plexiglass stands for the corner of my desk. I bought a medical grade air purifier for my desk area. I ordered large quantities of disinfecting wipes and sanitizer from an office supply distributor, and I blocked off the front of my room with tape to keep a student-free zone close to me. In my everyday life, I wear a mask when in public, sanitize my hands often and only see a few friends and family members- the hardest thing is to not hug my parents. Other than that, we don’t go out to eat often, but if we do, we sit outside.”

Q: What circumstances have brought you to do so? 

A: “Three reasons: 1- my parents are elderly and my father is not in good health; 2- I am a cancer patient currently finishing an entire year of chemotherapy this October. 3- because Dr. Fauci says to do these things to stop the spread and protect others and yourself.”

Q:How do these changes protect you and your students from COVID-19? 

A: “They probably don’t, but it makes me feel as though I tried everything that I could to keep myself safe and the students.”

Q: What challenges do you face in your classroom?

A: “1. social distancing. I have as many as 24 students in my classroom with little ventilation    2. I can’t give 100% to the face to face students and the online students at the same time… I am only 1 person.”

Q: How do you feel the corporation handled the pandemic for the 2020-21 school year?

A: “I am disappointed and saddened by the behavior at the Aug. 3rd board meeting. No one protected the teachers, so I do not think it is being handled well at all.”

Q: How should they improve/ have done differently?

A: “Board should listen to the recommendation of the superintendent who together with the teacher’s union agreed that distance learning was the safest option for all; even now, there is very little transparency as to the number of positive cases in the building and who is at risk; at the very least, those teachers with compromised immune systems should have been offered a position as an e-teacher.”

Q: How do you feel teachers were represented in the decisions for the school year?

A: “We weren’t and still aren’t.”

Q: What are your hopes for this school year/ what do you hope to see change?

A: “I hope I don’t get covid. It would really be a shame to fight cancer for a year only to have to fight this virus now too when it could have been prevented; I hope the teachers are thought of.”