With 150 sick and 50 saying they will only work at home (deemed unacceptable by the state, which controls the district) you’re talking 200 substitutes in a district that was already stretched. It will also add more duties to teachers who are reporting for work (and working extendedd days to keep up with dual responsibilities of in-person and at-home students).

Advertisement

Through the end of last week, according to state Health Department records, the district had 24 staff and 94 student COVID-19 cases. At the end of the last school week, the district reported 47 staff and 125 students in quarantine, with 32 new cases, 28 of them students.

This is a real problem, multiplied statewide, albeit with some places suffering less than others.

Advertisement

It is also true that all-virtual learning is not an attractive alternative for students because of equity issues created by different economic and family circumstances.

But still … the insistence by the governor and his handmaiden Key, with their usual union bashing, that teachers must work in-person at all costs rings a little hollow from a state government with buildings closed to the public.

Advertisement

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Key responds to LREA UPDATE Next article There’s school. And there’s football.