A new survey released by the Connecticut Education Association (C.E.A) and Connecticut's chapter of the American Federation of Teachers (C.T. A.F.T.) is shedding light on some of the big concerns from teachers.
The report was compromised of different shortcomings educators said they experienced and issues inside of the classrooms.
Lack of adequate ventilation systems, transparency and consistency in COVID-19 reporting, contact tracing and safety protocols were some of the issues educators listed as their top concerns.
According to the survey, nearly 60 percent of teachers said they are worried about getting COVID-19 at work. Sixty percent said schools are not the safest place for kids right now.
Eight in 10 said they believe schools should be all remote for at least a week after the holidays. The survey also stated that almost half of all teachers are required to teach both in-person in the classroom and students learning from remotely.
"I probably have the same concerns as everyone else," Sarah Morrill, a parent of two students at Hamden's Public Schools, said. "I'm concerned if it's safe for teachers, the staff and students to return to in-person learning right now."
Karlen Meinsen is both a New Haven teacher and parent of students in Hamden Public Schools.
"I think the ventilation systems and school buildings are a huge issue, especially in the wintertime and colder months," Meinsen said. "I think both teachers, students and parents are doing the best they can given the circumstances we're all living in at the moment."
In response to the survey, the state's board of education released a statement which reads:
"We are all in agreement that 2020 has been an unprecedented year filled with both health and economic challenges. Within the education realm, it has required that every action taken at the state level consider the well-being of both students and teachers. Since March, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) in consultation with the State Board of Education agreed that ensuring access to equitable and meaningful learning opportunities and doing so safely, must be the priority of the state’s education leaders. We also understood that in-person learning was the best approach. To assist in those efforts, the CSDE has been in continuous communication with superintendents and stakeholders to provide updates and support. The CSDE created reopening plans that allowed a degree of flexibility but also considered the importance of face-to-face teaching and learning particularly for students with disabilities, English language learners, and students in high poverty districts. The plan, Adapt, Advance, Achieve, an extensive document including 14 addendums, was thoroughly vetted before it was released"
For more information about the survey, click here.
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