Gilmer Schools puts teachers officially back on essential workers’ list
Gilmer County teachers have officially been declared essential workers during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The measure was voted on at the board of education meeting, Sept.17. The designation comes after the U. S. Department of Homeland Security included teachers on a list of “critical infrastructure workers” in an Aug. 18 press release.
The distinction keeps teachers in classrooms and out of quarantine if they have been exposed to the virus but do not exhibit symptoms.
Teachers will be sent home if symptoms become present or they test positive.
However, the decision was ultimately up to local governments.
“This list is advisory in nature. It is not, nor should it be considered, a federal directive or standard,” the release stated. “Additionally, this advisory list is not intended to be the exclusive list of critical infrastructure sectors, workers and functions that should continue to work safely during the COVID-19 response across all jurisdictions.”
Gilmer County Schools superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs originally discussed the topic at the board of education’s work session, Sept. 14.
“When we closed schools in the spring (March 13), educators were essential workers, according to the state of Georgia,” she said. “When we delivered meals during the summer, educators were essential workers, according to the state of Georgia. Mysteriously, when we went back to school (Aug. 7), teachers were left off the essential workers’ list.”
If exposed to the virus but symptom free, essential employees are able to return to work and are required to wear an N95 mask and undergo daily COVID screening and temperature checks.
“If teachers begin to show symptoms or do not feel well, they can go home,” Downs said. “We’ve had numerous employees already this year that have been quarantined because they might have come in contact with someone. They never became ill, but they were out of work for 14 days.
“In some of these cases, we had people where only one person in the district does the job and is bilingual. They were out of work for 14 days and never got sick. They asked to come to work, but we didn’t have the designation at that point.”
Downs noted the system was awaiting word from Gov. Brian Kemp Sept. 7, but no official designation arrived. Much like the federal government, Georgia left the decision to individual districts to declare educators essential workers.
“For Gilmer, I believe it is in their best interest to allow those who have come in contact but are not sick with no symptoms and no fever to be able to come back with an N95 mask and additional screening,” Downs said. “If they’re not comfortable with that, then there’s the 10 Cares Act days and there is sick leave.”
Downs added, “I believe it’s in our best interest to allow those to be able to come back to work.”
Downs noted that some superintendents went ahead and declared educators essential workers on their own while others never removed the designation. Downs wanted to present it to the board and use a “common sense approach.”
The board passed the measure 5 to 0 in favor of designating Gilmer teachers as essential workers.