CHESLEY
CHESLEY McNEIL, CRASH CLARK AND FRANCESCA AMIKER.
FRANCESCA AMIKER. >>> LEARNING FROM HOME OR IN
SCHOOL IS A HOT DEBATE BUT WE
ARE HEARING FROM THE TEACHERS
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. WE SIT DOWN WITH TEACHERS
ACROSS THE METRO TO SEE HOW
THEY ARE FEELING GOING INTO THE
SCHOOL YEAR DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. >> I AM A HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH
TEACHER.
TEACHER.
TEACHER. >> I AM A TEACHER IN THE
ATLANTA AREA.
ATLANTA AREA. >> I AM AN ELEMENTARY MUSIC
TEACHER CURRENTLY.
TEACHER CURRENTLY. >> I TEACH HIGHER ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. >> I THINK THIS IS A FANTASTIC
DECISION BECAUSE THESE STUDENTS
NEED FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT.
>>
>>
>> US
>> US TO
>> US TO FEEL THIS WAY AT THIS
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
POINT. >> I AM VERY CONCERNED AND I
THINK A LOT OF TEACHERS SEE
THIS AS A DECISION BETWEEN
THEIR LIFE AND WORK WHICH IS A
HORRIBLE DECISION
HORRIBLE DECISION >> I LIVE WITH SOMEONE
MEDICALLY FRAGILE SO THIS IS A
CLOSE TO MY HEART DECISION ON
WHETHER OR NOT WE GO VIRTUAL.
>> THE CLASSROOM IS NOT THE
SIZE OF THE WALMART AND WE
CANNOT FIT 24 OR 30 CHILDREN
SIX FEET APART IN THESE
CLASSROOMS.
CLASSROOMS. AND I TELLING THEM THAT
ARE NOT TO SHARE BUT THEY'RE AT
AN AGE WHERE THEY ARE TAUGHT TO
SHARE.
SHARE.
SHARE. >>
SHARE. >> EVEN MYSELF TALKING TO THE
SENIORS THEY WANT TO BE IN THE
CLASSROOM.
CLASSROOM. WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THEIR
LIVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND
WE CAN'T HAVE THAT DISCUSSION
ONLINE.
ONLINE.
ONLINE. >> I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY
HEALTH.
HEALTH.
HEALTH. BECAUSE I'M AFRICAN-AMERICAN I
AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT
NOT BEING FACTORED INTO THE
DECISION.
DECISION.
DECISION. I FEEL EVERYBODY IS TALKING
ABOUT US BUT I HEAR VERY LITTLE
COMMENT OUR INPUT ABOUT WHAT IS
AT STAKE.
AT STAKE.
AT STAKE. >> I CANNOT TEACH IF I HAVE A
LOT OF ANXIETY.
I CANNOT DO MY BEST WITH MY
STUDENTS IF I AM OVERWHELMED
ABOUT BRINGING SOMETHING HOME
AND GETTING SICK.
WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT HALFWAY
AND WE ARE REALLY INVESTED.
I THINK BILLING INVESTED ABOUT
OUR MOTIVES WILL GO A LONG WAY.
>> I CANNOT
I AM DISAPPOINTED I WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO HUG THEM.
I HAVE LEARNED COWORKERS HAVE
COVID SO AT WHAT RISK DO I STEP
BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM?
EVERYBODY IS AFFECTED BY THIS
AND IT IS NOT AFFECTED BY
CHANGES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
>> THAT IS A VERY GOOD
CONVERSATION, VERY RAW EMOTION.
I HOPE THEIR VOICES ARE REALLY
BEING HEARD.
BEING HEARD. YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THE TEACHER
THAT FEELS LIKE THEY DON'T WANT
TO PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK OR I
WILL GO IN AND TEACH.
AND YOU HEAR FROM SOME PARENTS
THAT SAY I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT
TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR MY CHILD.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS
REALLY FOR EVERYONE.
THERE'S SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE EVERYONE AND
THEIR VOICE INTO CONSIDERATION.
THAT WAS A VERY GOOD INTERVIEW,
SHIBA.
SHIBA.
SHIBA. >>
SHIBA. >> I TEARING UP BECAUSE I THINK
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE
REALLY GOT AN INSIDE LOOK AT
WHAT TEACHERS ARE FEELING
WHAT THEY ARE BATTLING WITH.
THEY GET PAID SO LITTLE TO GIVE
THEIR ALL, MIGHT I ADD.
IT TAKES ME BACK TO A
CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THE
GWINNETT COUNTY EDUCATOR THAT I
WAS TEXTING WITH EARLIER THIS
WEEK.
WEEK.
WEEK. SHE
WEEK. SHE SAID SHE IS SCARED WITH
EVERYTHING GOING ON AND SHE IS
A MOM.
A MOM.
A MOM. WE
A MOM. WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE
HAVING TO EDUCATE KIDS ONLINE,
BUT THEY HAVE TO TEACH THEIR
OWN KIDS TOO.
THERE'S SO MUCH THEY ARE
GRAPPLING WITH.