Kentucky teachers express concerns about school plans

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ) — Back to school is going to look and feel different for teachers doing in-person instruction.

We talked to some of those teachers to hear their concerns.

Kids safe in school is what everyone is after but some teachers are asking what about us?

“I think most of us have some amount of anxiety about coming back to the classroom,” says Warren County teacher Jeanie Smith.

Do they feel safe heading back?

“I have two health conditions that cause me to fall into the high risk category,” says Bardstown teacher Nicole Britton.

“I have an autoimmune disorder myself,” says Pulaski County teacher Billie Wilson.

With their school districts allowing kids back in school next month, the teachers we talked to are concerned about a number of things.

“If students are six feet apart even indoors they don’t have to wear a mask. Distancing is not going to even be possible in most of our classrooms,” says Smith.

“Prior to school starting not everybody is getting tested and that includes teachers and students,” says Wilson.

Schools gave parents and students choices – online learning or in-person. Teachers say they weren’t given a choice.

“I think across the state one thing we learned is teachers weren’t given much of a voice,” says Smith.

But the teachers acknowledge their districts are doing the best they can given the situation.

“We are not going back to school under normal circumstances. It will be very different. Is it better than being at home? Probably, but is it without a cost? No,” says Britton.

But the pressure is real. The weight of keeping their kids, their families, themselves safe is heavy.

“If I get sick, okay, but what if I cause someone I love to die?” asks Wilson.

They’re concerned about the workload, too.

“Now we have to plan for our virtual class as well as our in person class, ya know, that’s double the amount of work,” says Pulaski County teacher Mona Hampton.

“Lots of unpaid hours are going into this,” says Britton.

Teachers are planners but no one could imagine planning to teach in the midst of a pandemic.