Fear and Anger
I am so angry right now, and so scared.
My school has been in distance learning since last March 17th, 2020, but recent concerted efforts by politicians and apparently their CDC stooges threaten to reopen schools that have been closed across the United States, including in my district.
As teachers are pointing out across the US and in Canada, there is no plan at all to ACTUALLY have social distancing of 6 feet, because that would entail such small class sizes that they would need to hire more teachers and they refuse to do that, and because if the school day itself isn't drastically shortened (AND our workloads drastically increased), they would also have to have more physical space than they do. There is no plan at all to upgrade HVAC/air circulation. It is ludicrous to expect that students will keep their masks on the whole time, or refrain from touching each other in their vast relief at being able to be social once more, at least outside the classrooms.
The CDC announced that teachers can return to work without being vaccinated (because obviously vaccination roll out is not going to be a miracle of efficiency -- it's not even mandated for teachers in all California counties yet, including (as of today, at any rate) Alameda County, where I am.) What the hell?
I love teaching. I chose this job on purpose and for the long haul, and have resisted burn out (which is fucking common) by defending my own life outside of teaching. I value and appreciate my students. I am doing the absolute best that I can being creative with Zoom classes and distance learning. But I am very fat, and have diabetes and hypertension and have had bronchitis twice and pneumonia three times in my life, as well as H1N1 when that came around in 2009. I am the perfect candidate (except for not being over 65) for Covid-19. I fucking did not sign up for teaching in order to die. It is fucking UNCONSCIONABLE to demand that I die for my job. I cannot retire early; I can't afford to. I have to work another SEVEN fucking years before I will reach a mostly sustainable pension amount.
I got a letter from my doctor a month or two ago, in case of reopened schools... but Kaiser, my group insurer, gave me a form letter which just says my employers should follow national guidelines. Which presumably means who cares whether I get vaccinated before returning or not, now that some asshole at the CDC says it's not necessary.
I am so scared, and so angry.
My school has been in distance learning since last March 17th, 2020, but recent concerted efforts by politicians and apparently their CDC stooges threaten to reopen schools that have been closed across the United States, including in my district.
As teachers are pointing out across the US and in Canada, there is no plan at all to ACTUALLY have social distancing of 6 feet, because that would entail such small class sizes that they would need to hire more teachers and they refuse to do that, and because if the school day itself isn't drastically shortened (AND our workloads drastically increased), they would also have to have more physical space than they do. There is no plan at all to upgrade HVAC/air circulation. It is ludicrous to expect that students will keep their masks on the whole time, or refrain from touching each other in their vast relief at being able to be social once more, at least outside the classrooms.
The CDC announced that teachers can return to work without being vaccinated (because obviously vaccination roll out is not going to be a miracle of efficiency -- it's not even mandated for teachers in all California counties yet, including (as of today, at any rate) Alameda County, where I am.) What the hell?
I love teaching. I chose this job on purpose and for the long haul, and have resisted burn out (which is fucking common) by defending my own life outside of teaching. I value and appreciate my students. I am doing the absolute best that I can being creative with Zoom classes and distance learning. But I am very fat, and have diabetes and hypertension and have had bronchitis twice and pneumonia three times in my life, as well as H1N1 when that came around in 2009. I am the perfect candidate (except for not being over 65) for Covid-19. I fucking did not sign up for teaching in order to die. It is fucking UNCONSCIONABLE to demand that I die for my job. I cannot retire early; I can't afford to. I have to work another SEVEN fucking years before I will reach a mostly sustainable pension amount.
I got a letter from my doctor a month or two ago, in case of reopened schools... but Kaiser, my group insurer, gave me a form letter which just says my employers should follow national guidelines. Which presumably means who cares whether I get vaccinated before returning or not, now that some asshole at the CDC says it's not necessary.
I am so scared, and so angry.