Reopening schools puts my mother’s life at risk

On Monday evening, one of my greatest fears during the pandemic came to pass: Baltimore County Public Schools, capitulating to pressure from Gov.

Larry Hogan, broadcast a plan to force teachers back into classrooms without vaccinations starting this month, with in-person instruction to begin in March and April (“Baltimore County schools announce plans to reopen for students in March; teachers to return by mid-February,” Feb. 1).

For me, the son of a county teacher, it’s personal. My mother has served the children of Baltimore County for over 24 years. Now, in the home stretch of her career and just before she can retire with the dignity and sense of accomplishment she deserves, the school system has decided her life, and the lives of thousands of her colleagues, are an acceptable gamble in order to placate the governor.

Roughly a year ago, Maryland school systems made the responsible choice to move to virtual learning in the interest of saving lives. Back then, we knew very little about the coronavirus. Today, due to the assiduous work of our scientific community, we know significantly more. We know it is largely spread via respiratory droplets and its risk of transmission increases the more folks you put together, particularly in a closed room. We know that safeguards like masks can mitigate, but not eliminate risk. We know it is lethal with nearly 450,000 of our fellow Americans dead, including my grandmother — my mother’s mother. We know that we have two vaccines in distribution that prevent the COVID-19 disease in 90-95% of people and virtually eliminate the risk of COVID-related death. And finally, we know it is a matter of when, not if, every American teacher who wants to be vaccinated will be vaccinated with current estimates putting us into the summer break.

And yet, despite that final, glaringly obvious truth, Baltimore County’s school leaders have decided to break trust with educators like my mom and unnecessarily force them onto the front lines without a plan to fully vaccinate them, knowing they have no recourse but to, perversely, abandon their livelihoods if they want to live.

My mother already buried her mother because of COVID-19. I am not ready to bury mine. I urge the system’s leadership to give teachers the choice to remain virtual through the remainder of the school year so we can ensure that every teacher who wants a vaccine can get one. Please let my mom live.