LOCAL TEACHERS FEARFUL, OPTIMISTIC ON REOPEN PLAN
CHICO » Normally, Beth Burton greets her students with a high five or a handshake at the door as they walk into “Burtonville” otherwise known as her classroom.
Her classroom, which is emphatically decorated with college pennants and all sorts of knick-knacks, will have students seated in desks ready to learn on Monday. It’ll be thefirst time students will be on the Pleasant Valley High School campus, and any campus within the Chico Unified School District, since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools in March.
Burton, a history teacher at Pleasant Valley, is excited to see her students, though she can’t help but feel a bit of trepidation when it comes to reopening on Monday.
“This is the biggest school reopening in our history,” Burton said. “I wish we would have had information weeks ago instead of feeling completely rushed. We’ve come back from the Camp Fire and we’ve come back from all these other impactful things in Butte County. But this something that you’re playing with people’ s lives right now. It’s not just teachers, it’s not just students, but kids.”
Gina Snider, a history teacher at Chico High, also has mixed feelings about reopening. She wants to see her students in person instead of only seeing their names on a screen.
“We can’t wait to fill the school with students again, but it’s with a lot of trepidation knowing what has happened to other schools throughout the country when they opened,” Snider said. “I feel terrible for the kids who have anxiety about going back.”
The school board voted during the Oct. 8 board meeting that schools can reopen as long as a hybrid model could be offered. The hybrid model would allow students to learn online while still being enrolled in their school as opposed to being enrolled at Oak Bridge Academy.
However, this week, the Chico Unified Teachers Association and the school district came to the agreement that teachers could offer the hybrid option, but on a volunteer basis.
The memorandum of understanding which was approved Wednesday says that hybrid classes will be offered on a “voluntary basis” and that parents of online learners will be informed of a “reduction in engagement opportunities for students accessing the lessons online (chat, online handraising, etc.).”
“( Parents) are picking something they thought they were getting and now they're not. It's creating more upheaval,” Snider said. “It's a promise that was voted on without being vetted.”
Snider said she felt that starting on Monday was too soon and that phasing in students in small cohorts would have been a better option to reopen.
“There was a real opportunity in there for the district to provide time, collaboration and training on brand new technology,” Snider said. “Sadly they missed the opportunity to phase back in — not necessarily not open, but phase it in over a period of two weeks to be able to provide the students a re- entry mode into the school.”
The a.m./p.m. model has also raised some concerns for Snider. As soon as school is over for the a.m. group of students, they must be off campus before the p.m. group begins their day, which doesn't allow time for students to purchase yearbooks, meet with counselors or take care of other needs, Snider said. Traffic congestion could also flare up with parents picking up and dropping off their kids twice a day for five days a week.
“I think it's putting a stress on our community to manage a drop-off and pickup in three hours all over town,” Snider said. “I think that's too overwhelming for the parents, the schools and the community.”
Burton said there's still some concern when it comes to safety.
Desks won't be cleaned between class periods because of time constraints and it's not required that teachers clean the desks. Teachers were provided with towels and “neutral, electrolyzed water” to use for cleaning if they choose to.
“That's something that needs to be aware of, during the school day these desks may or may not be cleaned,” Burton said. “Typically during the school year, we're asked to put our chairs on top of the desks so the desks aren't being cleaned during a regular school year. I don't know what's going to change. Our custodial crews are doing an amazing job cleaning our rooms, but this is adding more to them.”
Temperature checks will no longer be required when entering campus. Instead, teachers can take temperatures at the classroom door with students lined up socially distant, or parents will have to take temperatures before dropping their kids off at school.
“I do have concerns that kids and parents even if they're not feeling well, they're going to be showing up to school,” Burton said. “Even if they don't have any symptoms or are asymptomatic carriers then what happens when we do have an outbreak?”
The district said that social distancing of six feet could not be guaranteed on every part of campus. However, signs informing students to stay six feet apart would be installed this week. On Wednesday afternoon, stickers encouraging social distancing and requiring masks were posted on a few windows and doors but not throughout the entire campus.
“A crew came in Monday afternoon and put up stickers. That's the only type of signage I've seen put up,” Burton said.
Teachers were given Thursday and Friday as designated days to help prepare their students for returning on Monday.
Though there is concern and trepidation, Burton is trying to remain positive about reopening. She knows how important the social and emotional needs are for her students.
“I think the social and emotional aspect is more important than the content and curriculum right now,” Burton said. “Kids just want to see each other and be around other kids.”
Masks will be required in Burton's classroom in which she'll have 19 students at a time.
“I really feel for anybody who comes to school and something were to happen. I would feel responsible somehow for that even if I had taken every precaution I have to make sure kids are safe in here,” Burton said. “I'd feel terrible if something were to happen to my students.”