Students want to go back to school because they miss the interaction. Parents want them back to get them out of the house. Some students are just fine with staying remote and some parents prefer their kids to stay home and safe. But how do the teachers feel?

From what I’ve heard, many teachers want to stay remote for the time being. Ms. Kimbley, an art teacher at Sahuaro, feels it is best to stay home for now. “If my students cannot use my supplies like paint brushes, clay, colored pencils, tools, etc., learning will not look much different than what we are doing now, which makes it not worth the risk and hassle of changing schedules and locations,” she said.

She feels it is “not safe” for high school being two of her four children are attending Walden Grove High School, who has adopted the hybrid learning schedule and has new positive cases among students every week. Kimbley said, “I feel it’s only a matter of time until one of my kids brings it home from school.”

Kimbley brought up a valid point: “People often forget that many teachers are parents too and that we are dealing with this on both endsof the spectrum.” She also mentioned that if school goes back to in person learning and a Cougar tests positive, everyone will be forced to quarantine and take sick leave for 2 weeks, and most teachers “cannot afford to burn up sick leave like that.”

As a mother and a teacher, Kimbley can see both sides very well. “I feel very strongly that remote learning is far more difficult for students than remote learning is for teachers,” she said.

Another teacher with strong feelings about the pandemic is Mr. Jardini, a math teacher at Sahuaro. When asked if he prefers to stay remote or go back to school, he said, “I would prefer for there not to be a global pandemic. Since there is a pandemic, I cannot in good conscience participate in activities that could spread the disease and get people killed.”

Although the list of cons is longer than the list of pros for remote learning, Jardini feels, “The best choice for the Sahuaro community is the one that will protect people in our community from getting sick and dying.”