Massachusetts Teachers Are an Asset to Be Protected [OPINION]

Everything is different due to COVID-19. The public schools are trying to figure out the new world. Teachers are an asset and they must be protected.

There was a shortage of professional educators before any of us ever heard of COVID-19. Massachusetts school districts have a hard time staffing their classrooms with qualified teachers. Districts should act smartly and preserve the skilled professionals they have and do everything to protect them.

The taxpayers have an interest in protecting the teachers, too.

The Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education has made a bizarre recommendation to local schools. It is guidance, not a requirement. The recommendation is for all teachers to report to their school building and then teach to kids who are at home.

Why would any district take a valuable resource and centralize them in a pandemic? This centralization of skilled labor is in direct contradiction to the health guidelines the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been using to control the spread of the deadly virus.

What happens when a school has a positive test for COVID-19?

If a district feels they can safely have students and teachers return to the classroom in the fall, they should do it. But if a district feels they can't safely return the kids, then they can't honestly feel it is safe for the educational staff.

Am I the only one who finds it strange to have more oversight on professional adults than over children?

Teachers can do their job from home if the students can learn from home. Grouping all of the teachers in a building is a reckless decision for the teachers, the taxpayers, and the education of the children.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.