Georgia Teachers Should Decide On Early Classroom Return, Educators Association Says

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August 27th, 2020

In a survey earlier this month by the Georgia School Superintendents Association, 139 superintendents favored designating teachers as critical, while 12 opposed it. They fear the large numbers of exposures among teachers could force schools to shut down in-person learning.

Brynn Anderson / Associated Press

Georgia’s largest teachers group told Gov. Brian Kemp that teachers should be able to decide whether to return to school without being quarantined for COVID-19 exposure if the governor decides to allow that.

But the group said Kemp should make sure rapid coronavirus testing is available to teachers. It also wants districts to provide more paid leave, publish coronavirus testing results and let educators with high-risk health conditions work from home.

The Professional Association of Georgia Educators sent recommendations to Kemp on Wednesday, a week after the Republican governor acknowledged that he was considering declaring teachers as “critical infrastructure workers.” Such a designation would mean that teachers would be exempted from the legal requirement that they quarantine for 14 days after COVID-19 exposure.

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