Letter to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

Dear Governor Brian Kemp,

I've tried to email you, but our taxpayer funded website only allows 500 characters. I even received a "not authorized" error. Regardless, I need a few extra keystrokes to completely communicate my concerns.

During your press conference Thursday, January 21st you shared a stark reality, “this virus can kill you or put you in the hospital before we can get the vaccine to you.” You acknowledged that our hospitals cannot handle another surge. Region N (Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding, Douglas) had SIX ICU beds available for the 1.3 million residents of the four county region. Dr. Toomey urged people to do their best to mitigate risk of transmission because it is “even easier to acquire covid in public spaces than before.” In the past few weeks, Dr. Memark of Cobb & Douglas Public Health stated multiple times that children should be learning virtually, if at all possible.

I invite you to come teach with me for a day. By 8am, I have greeted and helped serve breakfast to hundreds of children in the cafeteria. I open juice, clear up spills, sanitize tables between children, comfort littles who are sad as they say goodbye to caregivers and older siblings for the day, all while children are eating, unmasked. For the remainder of the day, I teach in six classrooms of 18-25 students with varying capacity for social distancing. As the STEM teacher, I am now required to teach in the children’s classroom rather than the students coming to my classroom. This is safer for our students. However, it is not safer for me. I have lost my autonomy to somewhat control my classroom environment to protect myself and instead rely on the good will and compliance of the teachers in whose classrooms I teach.

You urge the citizens of Georgia to exercise caution and patience, while an untold number of school staff have contracted the virus from school and still experience the lingering effects. At least three Cobb County educators have died from COVID-19, as have school staff in Hart, Gwinnett, Monroe, Henry, Irwin, and other counties. These are a representation of educators whose death has been acknowledged publicly. Certainly there are others, whose families wish to privately grieve. State officials knew teachers would be infected yet were, and remain, unconcerned about the health and safety of our school staff. These people are not heroes, they and their families have been victimized by our public education system.

The early research about transmission in schools is quickly being proven inaccurate. Schools throughout the state are not following the decision threshold table published by the CDC. Asking citizens to “continue” to follow public health guidance isn’t working, our case rate is higher than ever. I drive through town and restaurants are packed to capacity. I no longer go into stores because of declining compliance with health guidelines. I see my recently widowered, elderly father on video chat, rather than in person, because the risk me transmitting COVID to him is too great. He spends his days at his apartment alone, waiting for a vaccine appointment.

Though stating publicly that face to face instruction is a priority, our state has chosen to alter the CDC’s recommendation for vaccine rollout . The expansion increased Phase 1a from 500k healthcare workers & long term care residents to over 2 million law enforcement, seniors 65+, and public safety workers. Educators remain in 1b, while simultaneously, people from other states are being given access to vaccines allocated for Georgians.

As I sit here today, national news is reporting the insensitivity to employee safety. Georgia has one of the highest case rates in the nation, but is among the lowest in vaccinations. My city government, along with others, are only offering virtual services. The Supreme Court of Georgia urges all proceedings to be delayed or virtual. The public library is drive thru only. The Georgia Assembly has reconfigured chambers to allow social distancing and the Georgia House requires a mask, unlike many school districts in the state. Even the Governor’s Mansion remains closed to tours due to COVID precautions.

This IS personal. As a friend of the Key family, I know that contact tracing indicated he most likely was infected at school. The virus maliciously ravaged Patrick’s lungs and kidneys as he clung to life. I bear witness daily to the gut wrenching pain of his devastated family. I am not foolish enough to believe that we are irreplaceable in our positions as educators. On New Year’s Eve, five days after Patrick’s death, Priscella (Patrick’s wife), her cousin, and I returned to his classroom to pack up his personal belongings. As we left with the remains of 23 years of teaching, 3 totes and a microwave, his principal offered words of support. He assured Priscella that Patrick’s students were in good hands with the newly hired art teacher. Patrick had been replaced in the 5 days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. At that moment, I understood we are not only replaceable but expendable.

My question is this: What is the metric for deciding how many educator deaths are acceptable? Is there a maximum number for which you are waiting before you act? Why is this information withheld from the community and school staff? You have the power to protect staff AND students. How will you protect school employees? The time has come for strong action and leadership. I don’t need a $1,000 bonus. I don’t want hollow words of praise. We have endured this pandemic for almost a year. If face to face instruction is a priority in this state, changes must be made. We deserve an immediate, science-based plan for keeping employees safe and ensuring that not one more school employee dies from contracting the virus at work.

I urge you to take action immediately, our lives are in your hands.