Clip 025.1 -- Tibbens -- COVID-19: Substitutes & Blended Learning Are Mandatory
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In this clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.025, host Ryan Tibbens addresses one of the most significant challenges facing schools as they make plans to reopen -- substitute teachers. Most school divisions across the country already struggle to hire enough substitutes, and COVID-19 will exacerbate that problem next fall. Most substitutes are older, making them at higher risk of infection and serious illness. How many people are willing to risk their health for a crummy part-time job that pays $11-$14 per hour? As we plan to reopen schools, most people are thinking about separating desks, staggering schedules, and disinfecting buildings.\\xa0 Everyone seems to be overlooking the most obvious problem of all -- the teachers, not the students, are at greatest risk. What will we do when large numbers of teachers are out of work for two weeks or more (even if they are asymptomatic, a positive test will yield a required absence)? \\xa0
All our preparations and contingency plans must address the need for substitutes and increased blended learning.\\xa0 Host Ryan Tibbens outlines those issues and a path forward in this clip.\\xa0