Some Bitterroot Teachers Aren't Supported During this Pandemic

Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

We’ve always asked too much of our teachers. They are expected to be professional counselors, social workers, and mediators. They are supposed to detect abuse, feed hungry students, mentor, become tech experts, and be custodians. They are supposed to jump in front of a bullet to save the lives of their students if it came to that.

And now some Montana School Boards of Trustees are asking them to teach in danger of catching Covid-19 because they are no longer requiring masks.

Masks are a known barrier against the spread of Covid-19. When Gov. Greg Gianforte removed the mask requirement, he advised school boards to follow CDC guidelines, which include social distancing, staggering classroom times so rooms are less occupied, and enforcing mask wearing.

To make matters worse, as one of his first moves as governor, Gianforte moved teachers from Phase 1B to Phase 1C, ensuring it will take longer for them to be vaccinated, perhaps not before the end of the school year.

Florence Carlton School Board voted to remove the mask requirement, leaving the decision to wear a mask up to students. The last day the students had to wear a mask was Feb. 19. Some parents reported as few as one students was wearing a mask to five unmasked students after the decision.

Further down the Bitterroot Valley, the Stevensville school board hosted a second meeting after the board was split over the decision.Ultimately, the board opted to keep the mask mandate in place. Nicole Morton, whose son is in first grade, was relieved.

"To me, this is about supporting teachers,” Morton said. “How sad that other people just can’t see in order for their kids to have these amazing teachers we have to look out for them.”

The Corvallis school board opted to keep the mask mandate in place, angering some students and parents.

”Safety is our number one concern as educators,” said Florence first grade teacher Lisa Verlanic. “We worry about the safety of our students from the minute they walk into the door to the moment we walk them to their buses or to their parents waiting outside. We ensure that students are wearing coats, hats, gloves, and boots when the weather turns cold. We provide these items for students when necessary. We keep kids in for recess as needed for their safety. We keep aware of our surroundings for any possible dangers and look for an exit when we enter the lunchroom, the gym or any other classroom. We escort our students to and from special classes. We are informed about any health concerns or allergies and take any injuries seriously.”

Verlanic said other safety measures the school employs like fire drills and lock-down protocols aren’t questioned by the community or discussed at board meetings.

Our teachers care so much about our kids’ safety. It’s time we do the same for them.