‘What If I Feel Unsafe?’: Support Professionals in Texas Report Back to Work
Linda Estrada, a school secretary at Runn Elementary School in Donna, Texas, has been receiving texts day and night from education support professionals (ESP) across the Donna Independent School District asking about the requirement to report back to work this month. “What if I feel unsafe?” “What about my kids at home?” “What if I’m in a high risk group?”
“There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ and a lot of anxiety,” says Estrada, an NEA Board member and union activist.
After the governor ended the Shelter in Place order on April 30 and allowed businesses to reopen on May 1, Donna ISD announced it would reopen schools in phases and require all administrators and education support staff to return to their positions to close out the 2019-2020 school year. It includes all job categories, including clerical, technical, custodial and maintenance staff as well as food service and bus drivers who have already been working to feed students and deliver meals. Students and teachers will return in August for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The announcement has been met with a whirl of emotions and questions. While some ESPs are eager to get back to work and out of their houses, others are nervous that it’s too soon because health experts warn that the U.S. lacks the testing and tracing capabilities for a safe reopening of businesses. But everyone CONTINUE READING: 'What If I Feel Unsafe?': Support Professionals in Texas Report Back to Work