{"id":321423,"date":"2021-08-11T11:04:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T08:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/"},"modified":"2021-08-11T11:04:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T08:04:00","slug":"going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/","title":{"rendered":"#: Going back to school this fall could be just as hard as 2020 \u2014 or even harder"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3be6d98668d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3be6d98668d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#%E2%80%98What_I_still_find_most_difficult_to_deal_with_is_the_constant_unknowns_the_constant_uncertainties\" >\u2018What I still find most difficult to deal with is the constant unknowns, the constant uncertainties\u2019<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#Piera_Gravenor_superintendent_of_Delsea_Regional_School_District_Elk_Township_School_District_front_row_center_%E2%80%98What_I_still_find_most_difficult_to_deal_with_is_the_constant_unknowns_the_constant_uncertainties_said_Gravenor\" >Piera Gravenor, superintendent of Delsea Regional School District &amp; Elk Township School District, front row, center. &#8216;What I still find most difficult to deal with is the constant unknowns, the constant uncertainties,&#8217; said Gravenor.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#Patrick_Miller_Greene_County_Schools_NC_superintendent_Photo_courtesy_Patrick_Miller\" >Patrick Miller, Greene County Schools, N.C. superintendent. Photo courtesy Patrick Miller<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#To_mask_or_not_to_mask\" >To mask, or not to mask<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#Ken_Wallace_Maine_Township_High_School_District_207s_superintendent\" >Ken Wallace, Maine Township High School District 207\u2019s superintendent.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#Vaccination_policies\" >Vaccination policies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#%E2%80%98We_literally_are_begging_people_to_be_bus_drivers\" >\u2018We literally are begging people to be bus drivers\u2019<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/going-back-to-school-this-fall-could-be-just-as-hard-as-2020-or-even-harder\/#Andrew_Keshner\" >Andrew Keshner<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#: Going back to school this fall could be just as hard as 2020 \u2014 or even harder<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98What_I_still_find_most_difficult_to_deal_with_is_the_constant_unknowns_the_constant_uncertainties\"><\/span>\n  \u2018What I still find most difficult to deal with is the constant unknowns, the constant uncertainties\u2019<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\" data-nosnippet>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000370336\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-layout=\"\n                inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetArticleReader\n              \n              inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetArticleReader\n              article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-object-article-reader\">\n<div class=\"audioplayer\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000370336\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Listen to Article\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"articlereader\" data-show-title=\"false\" data-theme=\"wsj-article-reader\" data-show-header=\"false\" data-show-subscribe=\"false\" data-ads-enabled=\"true\" data-save-publication=\"false\">\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       Last June, as COVID-19 cases dropped and the vaccination rate climbed, school superintendent Piera Gravenor was feeling positive about the upcoming school year. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cI was actually quite excited to have a normal, non-eventful year,\u201d said Gravenor, superintendent of New Jersey\u2019s Delsea Regional School District. \u201cWhat a mistake. I slightly exhaled at the end of last school year.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       Just as school officials were catching their breath from the unprecedented 2020-21 school year, along came rising COVID cases fueled by the delta variant, changing public health guidance and a new state mandate for masks<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.gov\/governor\/news\/news\/562021\/20210806b.shtml\" class=\"icon none\"> inside all school buildings.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Gravenor and the 200 staffers in her 1,700-student district have already done 15 months of schooling during the pandemic. This year, the plan is to have a completely in-person start to the school year, instead of the all-remote beginning last year that segued into hybrid instruction.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, August 2021 feels a lot like August 2020 for the superintendent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I still find most difficult to deal with is the constant unknowns, the constant uncertainties,\u201d said Gravenor, who\u2019s also the superintendent of Elk Township School District, with kindergarten through sixth graders. <\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n        media-object-image\n        enlarge-image\n        img-inline\n        article__inset__image\n      \" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:47.85714285714286%;\" data-subtype=\"photo\" class=\"image-container  responsive-media article__inset__image__image\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=540&amp;size=2.088091353996737 540w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=620&amp;size=2.088091353996737 620w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=639&amp;size=2.088091353996737 639w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=700&amp;size=2.088091353996737 700w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=700&amp;size=2.088091353996737&amp;pixel_ratio=1.5 1050w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=700&amp;size=2.088091353996737&amp;pixel_ratio=2 1400w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=700&amp;size=2.088091353996737&amp;pixel_ratio=3 2100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 979px) 620px, (max-width: 1299px) 540px, 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383437?width=700&amp;height=335\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"wsj-article-caption article__inset__image__caption\" itemprop=\"caption\">\n<h4 class=\"wsj-article-caption-content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Piera_Gravenor_superintendent_of_Delsea_Regional_School_District_Elk_Township_School_District_front_row_center_%E2%80%98What_I_still_find_most_difficult_to_deal_with_is_the_constant_unknowns_the_constant_uncertainties_said_Gravenor\"><\/span>Piera Gravenor, superintendent of Delsea Regional School District &amp; Elk Township School District, front row, center. &#8216;What I still find most difficult to deal with is the constant unknowns, the constant uncertainties,&#8217; said Gravenor.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>      <span class=\"wsj-article-credit article__inset__image__caption__credit\" itemprop=\"creator\"><br \/>\n            Photo courtesy Piera Gravenor<br \/>\n          <\/span><br \/>\n  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>       Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year, another master class in pandemic stress.<\/p>\n<p>Mask rules, the role \u2014 if any \u2014 of staff vaccine requirements, and a labor shortage are some of the plot lines that lie ahead, educators told MarketWatch weeks before the start of the new school year.<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, all sorts of workplaces are wrestling now with these topics. But many employers can tweak return-to-office plans, delay them or stick with remote models. And the adult workforce is eligible for the shot.<\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n        media-object-image\n        enlarge-image\n        img-inline\n        article__inset__image\n      \" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:100%;\" data-subtype=\"photo\" class=\"image-container  responsive-media article__inset__image__image\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=540&amp;size=1 540w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=620&amp;size=1 620w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=639&amp;size=1 639w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=700&amp;size=1 700w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=700&amp;size=1&amp;pixel_ratio=1.5 1050w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=700&amp;size=1&amp;pixel_ratio=2 1400w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=700&amp;size=1&amp;pixel_ratio=3 2100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 979px) 620px, (max-width: 1299px) 540px, 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383395\/square?width=700&amp;height=700\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"wsj-article-caption article__inset__image__caption\" itemprop=\"caption\">\n<h4 class=\"wsj-article-caption-content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Patrick_Miller_Greene_County_Schools_NC_superintendent_Photo_courtesy_Patrick_Miller\"><\/span>Patrick Miller, Greene County Schools, N.C. superintendent. Photo courtesy Patrick Miller<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>       It\u2019s different for schools, where the expectation \u2014 from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2021\/08\/05\/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-additional-actions-to-help-kids-go-back-to-school-safely\/\" class=\"icon none\">President Joe Biden<\/a>, to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aft.org\/press-release\/afts-weingarten-hits-road-encourage-everyone-back-school-5-million-campaign\" class=\"icon none\">powerful teachers unions<\/a> and many burnt-out parents \u2014 is that <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roximately 50 million public school kids will be back in classrooms on a full-time, five-day basis. That includes students under age 12 who still aren\u2019t eligible for vaccination. The nation\u2019s economy can\u2019t fully rebound until kids are back in school, freeing up parents to focus on jobs, observers say.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt could be a more difficult year because numbers are rising here right before we get started and we don\u2019t have the same options that we had last year,\u201d said Patrick Miller, superintendent of Greene County Schools in North Carolina. He anticipates that teachers on staff will be focused on in-person instruction this year and won\u2019t have the capacity to do double duty with remote instruction.<\/p>\n<p>Miller\u2019s district, with 2,800 students and around 460 staffers, plans to contract with an outside vendor that will provide a remote option. Registration is open now, and Miller doesn\u2019t yet know how many families will go for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re in better shape today about schooling than we certainly were in March 2020 or in other times\u201d during the pandemic, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers with 1.7 million members.<\/p>\n<p>Even with the delta variant\u2019s unknowns, the union supports full-time in-person learning. Still, the degree of difficulty for the new school year could be \u201ceven harder,\u201d Weingarten said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis year is a little bit of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu,\u201d said Christine Pitts, resident policy fellow at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a non-partisan research organization. \u201cWe got to this exact point last year where a lot of districts pulled together the plans they could, based on limited guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The patchwork of plans will have long-term consequences, Pitts noted. \u201cRegardless of which year it is and what the topic du jour is, the most important thing we can think about is the impact on these students\u2019 safety and their prosperity in the future as individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"To_mask_or_not_to_mask\"><\/span>To mask, or not to mask<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Everyone should be masked inside schools regardless of vaccination status, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s latest guidance.<\/p>\n<p>Now try convincing everyone, from governors to local school board members, to go that route.<\/p>\n<p>States including Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah say schools cannot require masking. Some school systems,<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/dallas-austin-school-districts-defy-governor-s-order-will-require-n1276416\" class=\"icon none\"> like Dallas and Austin, <\/a>are defying state orders with their own mask mandates.<\/p>\n<p>On the other side, states like New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Oregon and California are requiring masks.<\/p>\n<p>Then there are states like North Carolina, where it\u2019s ultimately a local school board decision. Miller\u2019s school board voted 4-1 earlier this month for universal masking, though he thought the end tally would be 3-2.<\/p>\n<p>In New Jersey, the mask mandate is one less decision for Gravenor, but her schools still have to put it into practice. At the end of last year, the district had optional mask rules, she noted.<\/p>\n<p>Though lunch will be outside and spread out as much as possible, the teachers and aides on lunch duty will have to make sure students quickly drop their masks and pop them back up once they\u2019re done eating, Gravenor said. Then there\u2019s figuring out gym classes, where students don\u2019t have to be masked, she noted. \u201cThere\u2019s a whole lot more oversight that has to occur,\u201d Gravenor said.<\/p>\n<p>In Park Ridge, Ill., Ken Wallace, the superintendent of Maine Township High School District 207, was planning for optional 2021 mask rules \u2014 and that was the message conveyed to the community for a school system with 6,400 kids. Then came Gov. J.B. Pritzker\u2019s Aug. 4 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.illinois.gov\/news\/press-release.23668.html\" class=\"icon none\">school mask mandate announcement.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>So Wallace had to go back to the drawing board for more communication to students and parents, he said. <\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n        media-object-image\n        enlarge-image\n        img-inline\n        article__inset__image\n      \" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:133.42857142857142%;\" data-subtype=\"photo\" class=\"image-container  responsive-media article__inset__image__image\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=540&amp;size=0.7498535442296427 540w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=620&amp;size=0.7498535442296427 620w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=639&amp;size=0.7498535442296427 639w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=700&amp;size=0.7498535442296427 700w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=700&amp;size=0.7498535442296427&amp;pixel_ratio=1.5 1050w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=700&amp;size=0.7498535442296427&amp;pixel_ratio=2 1400w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=700&amp;size=0.7498535442296427&amp;pixel_ratio=3 2100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 979px) 620px, (max-width: 1299px) 540px, 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-383399?width=700&amp;height=934\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"wsj-article-caption article__inset__image__caption\" itemprop=\"caption\">\n<h4 class=\"wsj-article-caption-content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ken_Wallace_Maine_Township_High_School_District_207s_superintendent\"><\/span>Ken Wallace, Maine Township High School District 207\u2019s superintendent.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>      <span class=\"wsj-article-credit article__inset__image__caption__credit\" itemprop=\"creator\"><br \/>\n            Photo courtesy Ken Wallace<br \/>\n          <\/span><br \/>\n  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>       Wallace isn\u2019t anticipating resistance from students when they come back. But he knows he\u2019ll still hear complaints from some parents even if the masking decision is out of his hands.<\/p>\n<p>Pitts said as of late July, 40% of districts were requiring masks, 40% were making it optional and 20% had no policy for the new school year one way or another, according a running national survey from the Center on Reinventing Public Education. The participants are 100 mostly urban school districts across the country, she noted.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Vaccination_policies\"><\/span>Vaccination policies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Employer vaccination mandates are becoming increasingly common, but the question is whether mandates will extend into school districts.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, Weingarten told NBC <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> she supported vaccine mandates for teachers after telling MarketWatch days earlier that she was giving the prospect serious thought.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 90% of educators and school staff across the country are already vaccinated, according to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2021\/08\/02\/fact-sheet-reopening-schools-and-rebuilding-with-equity\/\" class=\"icon none\">White House estimates.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Washington D.C. said Thursday that all district employees \u2014 including teachers \u2014 would either need to be vaccinated by Sept. 19 or undergo regular testing. \u201cWe want our families to understand that our doors will be open on August 30, and we expect to have all of our students present, in-person, full-time, five days a week,\u201d D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said.<\/p>\n<p>Around 90% of the school system\u2019s staff said in voluntary reporting that they are vaccinated, Ferebee noted. The Washington D.C. announcement follows New York City\u2019s requirement for city workers, including Department of Education staff, to either show proof of vaccination or regular testing.<\/p>\n<p>But different districts have different dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>None of the three superintendents MarketWatch interviewed said they were considering vaccine mandates. As of earlier this summer, the teaching staff in Wallace\u2019s Illinois district had a 92% vaccination rate (and an 82% for all staffers). The rate is likely even higher now, Wallace said.<\/p>\n<p>In New Jersey, Gravenor said the \u201cvast majority\u201d of staff had been vaccinated. Nevertheless, she was scheduled to meet with the district\u2019s lawyer later in the week to learn more about the laws and regulations surrounding what she could and could not ask staff and students when it comes to vaccination status.<\/p>\n<p>As for a mandate? Gravenor wishes everyone had their shots, but a requirement is a bridge too far. \u201cI don\u2019t morally feel comfortable doing that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, Miller said requirements in Greene County Schools, N.C. \u201cwill not happen at a local level here,\u201d Miller said. \u201cIf a state mandate came down, we would have to adhere to that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Miller\u2019s district hasn\u2019t asked staff to report vaccination status. As a whole, the county\u2019s vaccination rate was \u201cpretty pathetic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Just over half (53%) of the county\u2019s adult population had at least one shot and 49% was fully vaccinated as of Aug. 10, according to the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\/vaccinations\" class=\"icon none\">North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.<\/a><\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98We_literally_are_begging_people_to_be_bus_drivers\"><\/span>\u2018We literally are begging people to be bus drivers\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Wallace\u2019s district has around 16 or 17 openings for teacher\u2019s assistants and support staff \u2014 plus a bit of bad news that the bus company contracted to bring students to after-school <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s can\u2019t do it because the company\u2019s staff is stretched thin.<\/p>\n<p>Gravenor has similar problems in New Jersey. \u201cWe literally are begging people to be bus drivers,\u201d she said, later adding, \u201cI cannot find, for the life of me, substitutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In North Carolina, Miller, as of earlier this month, was waiting for applications to six spots clustered in the middle school. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve had this many vacancies at the beginning of the school year,\u201d said Miller, the superintendent since 2008.<\/p>\n<p>What gives? The skimpy supply of workers overall at this point in the pandemic is colliding with an ongoing staff shortage in education \u2014 which has been already aggravated by a stressful 2020-2021 school year.<\/p>\n<p>Employment in public schools increased 221,000 in July and 40,000 in private schools, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2019 recent jobs report. Those job additions surpass the numbers in May and June.<\/p>\n<p>In May, there were 334,000 openings in state and local education, the agency said. That preliminary data is the highest number of openings since BLS started counting them in 2000.<\/p>\n<p>Anecdotally, Wallace said some people nearing the end of their career seemed to just be retiring instead of eking out a little more time on the job. Around Gravenor\u2019s district, she noted many substitute teachers tended to be stay-at-home mothers or retirees and the pull into the classroom might not be enough under the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly one in four teachers were considering leaving at the end of last year, a recent <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/research_reports\/RRA1108-1.html\" class=\"icon none\">RAND Corporation <\/a>survey found. That\u2019s up from one in six, researchers noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven outside of COVID, we were having issues with the teaching pipeline being a trickle,\u201d Miller said. \u201cThen COVID has just exacerbated that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All three superintendents said they\u2019ll find some way to fill openings or juggle operations with a slimmer staff.<\/p>\n<p>Wallace just hopes this is a relative blip. \u201cI\u2019m trying to be optimistic and hope it\u2019s a short-term problem.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>    <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author mobile-scrim hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Andrew Keshner\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[{\"type\":\"link\",\"icon\":\"bio\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/author\/andrew-keshner\",\"text\":\"Biography\"},{\"type\":\"link\",\"icon\":\"twitter\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/andrewkeshner\",\"text\":\"@andrewkeshner\"},{\"type\":\"link\",\"icon\":\"email\",\"url\":\"mailto:akeshner@marketwatch.com\",\"text\":\"akeshner@marketwatch.com\"}]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Andrew_Keshner\"><\/span>Andrew Keshner<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-75A6-A0416629C5AD%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#: Going back to school this fall could be just as hard as 2020 \u2014 or even harder&#8221; \u2018What I still find most difficult to deal with is the constant unknowns, the constant uncertainties\u2019 Last June, as COVID-19 cases dropped and the vaccination rate climbed, school superintendent Piera Gravenor was feeling positive about the upcoming&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":321424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-321423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=321423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=321423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=321423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}