WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Some Wichita Public Schools teachers gathered Monday, voicing concerns about the upcoming school year. Many say it’s not safe to teach in the classroom with the number of active COVID-19 cases in Sedgwick County. As of Monday, the county reported 1,671 active cases.
The teachers gathered Monday have questions they fell are going unanswered. The district said there aren’t many answers right now, but it’s working to come up with a plan to give teachers and parents peace of mind.
The district said it will release its final plan in the coming weeks, but it has to wait on guidance from the state board of education. The board this week is expected to decide whether or not to go along with Governor Laura Kelly’s executive order to delay the start of school until after Labor Day.
Some guidance in place from the state includes plans for temperature checks, mask-wearing for middle-and-high-school students, spaced-out desks in classrooms, and changes to the lunchroom set up and options for students.
With so many unknowns some gathered Monday said classes need to start online first, then gradually work toward in-person schooling.
“The second it’s safe, I want back in my classroom. I want my kids. I want them near me. I want to see them to know that they’re doing okay. I hate doing it online, but I don’t want to die,” Wichita teacher Sara Koehen said. “I don’t want that kid to die.”
As it works toward a plan for the school year set to start in a few weeks, USD 259 asks for patience.
“If we came out with an exact decision today, it may have to change, and that’s why we’re providing general guidance to people and telling them as we get closer to the start of school, then we’ll be able to be more specific,” said USD 259 Director of Safety and Environmental Services Terri Moses.
Wichita Public Schools said it understands the concerns and is looking at every option to try to keep everyone safe.
“Certainly, we’re looking at options in regards to teachers’ assignments. We’re looking at options in regards to student learning and those three options that we’ve talked about a lot are in-person, remote and virtual, and we’re going to work both with our stands and our staff in finding the best to pair those together to meet the needs of our community,” Moses said.
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July 21, 2020 at 03:43AM
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Wichita teachers gather to voice safety concerns with upcoming school year - KWCH
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