“With such a significant portion of teachers unable to work due to positive coronavirus tests, who exactly is teaching the students as schools reopen after winter break?” reads a letter to the editor for latimesopinion.
among Los Angeles Unified School District students and staff, I was struck by how easy it felt to see this information as just another number — frightening yet unlikely to affect our daily lives.
However, as an LAUSD substitute who has worked consistently throughout this pandemic, these numbers paint a tangibly grim picture to me. With such a significant portion of teachers unable to work due to positive coronavirus tests, who exactly is teaching the students as schools reopen after winter break? Is it me, an uncredentialed substitute with a theater arts degree filling the role of a tenured high school English teacher? Or are other teachers being asked to rotate in during their designated prep periods, as they have often been asked to do this past year? And if so, will there even be enough teachers present to cover for...
The district is aware of the risks of in-person learning during the pandemic and has successfully implemented protocols that mitigate those risks. But I believe that now the discussion of safety must include the question of how to return to class after winter break without proper staff at schools.