Open Letter to the Orleans Parish School Board

Be the parish where students and teachers don’t die of Covid-19

I am writing to you as a current teacher in Orleans Parish, and I have a lot to say. I hope that you read to the end

This week, I signed a petition. The three demands of this petition are: 1) During virtual learning and professional development, in-person attendance must be optional for all teachers and staff. 2) Schools cannot resume in-person instruction until cases in Orleans Parish decrease to 5% positive for a 7 day cycle AND have 50 or fewer cases for 7 days. 3) Any plan for in-person school MUST include regular and prioritized testing for all school staff.

I would like to explain the rationale behind each of these demands. 1) Professional development and virtual learning can be conducted from home — we did it in March, April, May, and June. Right now in this city, I know pregnant teachers, teachers over 60, teachers with diabetes, teachers who have cancer, teachers with young children, and teachers who live with parents over 80. These teachers are being told that they must report to work in-person or apply for an exception, which may or may not lead to the loss of their…