Teachers have a lot to worry about when it comes to schools reopening in late August or early fall. Being around students all day puts them at higher risk for contracting COVID-19, and the numbers in many states are presently on the rise. Now a group of educators in Iowa is speaking out in a bold way to protest their state's reopening plans, or lack thereof. The group has been sending their own mock obituaries to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and her administration in an effort to make the possible repercussions of unsafe reopening plans extremely clear.
The group started when Jeremy Dumkrieger, an art teacher, wrote an article in a local news blog called Iowa Starting Line. In it, he shared the obituary for himself that he sent to the governor, and he urged other teachers to do the same. The mock obituary begins:
“Jeremy Dumkrieger, 43, passed away on [insert Date here] due to complications arising from COVID-19. He died alone, isolated from the family who meant the world to him.”
Parents and teachers everywhere are worried enough about the idea of kids heading back to school. But in Iowa, educators say that they have even more to worry about as clear plans for a safe reopening haven't been put into place. That's why those worried teachers and parents are speaking out.
A Facebook group called Iowa Educators for a Safe Return to School was also started by Jeremy and another colleague. It began as a place for educators to discuss plans for reopening schools safely. Now that group has grown immensely, with more than 16,000 parents and teachers.
Jeremy told Good Morning America about the group's primary concerns. He said, "The governor issued no guidance. That means every district in Iowa will have completely different plans. Some will wear masks, some will not." The lack of any clear plans feels irresponsible, at best. At worst, teachers worry it could cost them their lives.
Seventh-grade teacher Kerry Finley is also worried. "I'm very scared," she told GMA. "Are we going to wear scrubs? Are they going to amend the dress code? If we are going to do this, we are going to have to do this the way the hospitals did. We need training. We can't just say, 'OK, go back.'"
Kerry sees the mock obituaries as a powerful statement. She hopes that it will push her state to really think about what the reopening means for the people who are putting themselves at risk. "I think what we were trying to do is humanize us in her mind, make her see us as people," she said.
In Iowa, the numbers are worrisome, too, and some schools are set to reopen at the end of August. In Iowa, there have been at least 42,928 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and new daily cases reached as high as 232 this week. Iowa is among the 21 states currently in the red zone for cases of the virus.
The governor of Iowa has said she wants to prioritize in-person learning for kids this year. In a press conference yesterday, the administration said that virtual learning can be requested if infections in a county reach a 15% positivity rate. That proposal fell short with teachers, who feel desperate to see clear plans in place before the school year begins, with policies that will actually help them feel protected. "I would like to see masks on everyone," Jeremy said. "We want a safe return to school, which means safe plans."
The art teacher is definitely making his point known. "Writing your own obituary reflects on who you are, what you've been and who you want to become. It's sobering for sure," he said. Still, there's no word on whether or not his state is listening and coming up with safety protocols. Right now, many people feel like teachers and kids are a public health experiment.
Many of the obituaries were powerful because, like Kerry said, sharing information about each teacher has a humanizing effect. Kerry took hers in a different direction. She wrote, "You know what? I'm not dying for this — I won't even pretend to. I will fight with every fiber of my being as a mother, a teacher, a lawyer, an Iowan, and an American to make our current leadership understand and act with reason."
Kerry is also a breast cancer survivor, which means her immunity may be compromised. So, like many others, she has even more reason to worry about a premature return to in-person schooling.
The governor has provided some guidance about reopening, saying personal protective equipment will be supplied to schools for an initial 30 days. She also said that the Iowa Department of Education will be releasing guidance for schools in the event that someone at a school is infected with the virus.
Still, for many teachers and parents, that feels like far from enough.
