'What happens when a kid tests positive?' asks teacher with COVID-19 about upcoming school year
ORLANDO, Fla. - Teachers have been quite vocal about their fears of going back to in-person instruction in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
One teacher in Brevard County, Tamara Doehring, tells FOX 35 News, now that she has tested positive for COVID-19, she feels a little better about going back, because now, she says she will have antibodies to protect her for the first few months of school.
“I feel like it would be smarter to open schools when the numbers start dropping,” Doehring said.
She realizes that’s not really a choice giving the state mandate. Earlier this week, Doehring penned this post on Facebook that has received hundreds of shares and comments. In it, she asked questions.
“What happens when a kid tests positive??? What happens when a kid shows signs. CDC guidelines 2-5 days out, we assess the situation. Does that mean all the kids connected with that kid every kid in that class?” she wrote.
She also laid out her situation. Both she and her husband testing positive for the virus.
“If we’re a month from now, what happens?” Doehring asked.
She said in all reality between her husband getting sick first and now her testing positive a week later, had school been in session, she would be missing at least three weeks of class.
“I don’t know how we’d get a sub for two or three weeks for me,” Doehring said, adding that there is typically a shortage of substitute teachers and typically teachers have to fill in for one another if someone is out.
Watching Brevard County’s School Board workshop from home on Thursday, Doehring feels school leaders are doing their best to minimize the risk of kids getting sick in classrooms while at the same time realizing it's likely going to happen.
“They somewhat addressed it saying we will have these moments when we’ll have to shut down close for a few days or be at home and be virtual,” Doehring said.
She has spent her last few weeks of summer break revising and re-writing her lesson plans.
“There’s going to be a lot of absenteeism and we need to be prepared as teachers to work both in the classrooms (and from home) if this is how it’s going to roll and also our curriculum needs to be extremely adaptable to online cause kids will be absent a lot,” Doehring said.
Brevard County Public Schools have not finalized their plans on exactly how they’ll return to class next month. Today they put a survey online looking for feedback from parents.