Beginning Feb. 15, Wake County teachers and students will return to learn in person. Many teachers have expressed concern and said it is not yet certain.
“I can’t imagine being such a big system and not feeling that fear and not feeling that fear, so my heart goes out to these people,” said Tonya Smith, a member of the Association of Educators of North Carolina.
Smith is a high school teacher in Elkin, western North Carolina, and has returned to the classroom with a modified plan since October.
“We’ve had, of course, like everyone else, a few cases but not huge outbreaks because our system is very small,” Smith said.
According to the state’s vaccine deployment plan, front-line workers, like teachers, are the next group in the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I’d love to see us go up a little bit if possible, especially for larger counties with such a high number of students,” Smith said.
Davie County was one of the first to vaccinate many of its teachers, and this is something that teachers would like to see done in other counties. Still, Davie County has about 400 teachers, compared to Wake County, which has more than 10,000 teachers.
On Thursday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of state for health and human services, said North Carolina should have enough vaccine to begin vaccinating the third phase of residents, which includes teachers, in a couple of weeks.
Governor Roy Cooper also announced a one-time bonus for educators for their work and dedication.
“We continue to pressure the administration to get more vaccines in North Carolina,” he said. “We want to reach teachers and other essential workers as soon as we can.”
“I would love to get my vaccine (100% yes), but I wouldn’t want to get it out of someone who has life problems,” Smith said.
Lisa Luten, a spokeswoman for Wake County schools, says the district continues to advocate for teachers to be vaccinated as soon as possible.