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Fairfax County teachers weighing return to classroom
Hundreds of teachers in Fairfax County are facing a difficult choice – either return to school, or accept unpaid leave of absence or retirement.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Hundreds of teachers in Fairfax County are facing a difficult choice – either return to school, or accept unpaid leave of absence or retirement.
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The school board voted in September to restore in-person education. But the teachers’ union – like others throughout the DMV – resisted the decision, asking the district to respect the wishes of those teachers who did not want to return to the classroom.
Last week, the union was given an extension to decide their course of action – but now the deadline has come and gone.
The district has plotted out stage 2, but they’re trying to determine how many teachers will be available when they start planning stage 3.
On Tuesday, the teachers union held a virtual press conference as the deadline approached.
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Return to school debate
Hundreds of teachers in Fairfax County were asked to choose between being willing to return to school for in-person learning — or opting for an unpaid leave of absence or retirement.
A union survey revealed that more than half of the teachers who responded were considering accepting a leave of absence or resigning rather than return to the classroom.
Meanwhile, 85 percent of the respondents said they are not confident in the district’s current reopening plan.
Fairfax County has already returned a small number of students and staff to the classroom.
By the end of the month, they are aiming to have more than 6,000 students and more than 600 teachers back in classrooms under the hybrid learning model mixing in-person and virtual instruction.
The district prioritizing specialized high school career preparation, special needs, and English-as-a-second-language instruction.
They have not revealed their future reopening plans.
A schools spokesperson told FOX 5’s Lauren DeMarco that the responses they collected from teachers on Tuesday regarding returning to the classroom will now be reviewed by Human Resources personnel.
They will follow up with staff and administrators in the days ahead.
Currently, the district will only guarantee virtual instruction for teachers if they have an underlying health condition.