But What’s the Plan?
Attn: Central Office Administration and School Board Members of Edinburg CISD
It has already been decided that all students will stay home until September 27th. What are we trying to prove by requiring teachers to go back to work in their classroom? I am concerned that our administration and our school board is asking us to choose between two of the most important things that we need: our health and that of our families and our livelihood.
By not allowing us to work from home, this administration and school board is asking us to intentionally put ourselves at risk or lose our job. In the midst of our grim reality, what more do you want us to be scared of?
Perhaps we should be scared that if we are mandated to go back to our buildings that means there is no real plan in place. The “plan” teachers have been briefed on (so far) resembles a bulleted wish list of PPE and cut and paste CDC recommendations, which sound great in theory but also ignores the advice of staying home and minimizing exposure to others.
Even scarier is that this current “plan” is missing the how part that is supposed to build credibility. How are you going to ensure everything that you are promising to do? (I am still waiting for the Expo markers I requested at the beginning of the last school year.)
The thing is, teachers know. We know that this plan just looks good on paper. We know that these supplies are in high demand all around the world. We know PPE isn’t going to be as available or as abundant as you want us to believe. We know that our rooms are not going to be sanitized as often as they should. But the truth is we do not expect our district to magically have a warehouse full of supplies and seamlessly stock each campus with what they need.
But it’s okay. It is okay that you do not have the answer. No one does. But sending teachers back—that was the attempt to solve our problem? Please understand that at this point we should not be asking you to allow us to stay home, rather you should be telling us that we need to stay home because that is truly part of the solution to our problem. That is how we can do our part.
I pray that you see it that way. My family prays that you see it that way. Our community prays that you see it that way too.
Luis Soriano Peñafloria is an elementary school teacher in Texas. “Luis” is a pen name for the purpose of this blog; this writer has chosen to remain anonymous. Click the pen name to learn more about the inspiration behind their choice of pseudonym.