BEAUMONT, Texas — On Tuesday, the state released new guidance for Texas schools returning this fall.
Masks will likely be required and students and staff will be screened at the door to help stop the coronavirus from spreading.
Some are asking if the new guidelines will be enough to protect everyone.
When you ask many teachers, the switch from in-classroom learning to remote learning was tough but not impossible.
Noel Candelaria is the president of the Texas State Teachers Association.
"It was a challenge that they met. Teachers overnight converted their classrooms into a virtual setting," Candelaria said.
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After the Texas Education Agency released its back-to-school guidelines, he realized there was still work to be done.
"With what came out from the TEA, it's unfortunate that the educator voice and the teacher voice was not part of that decision which is what we've been advocating for all summer," Candelaria said.
He says the teacher's association started releasing their expectations to keep everyone inside schools safe months ago. Some of those suggestions include making sure every school has a nurse on site and making temperature checks mandatory.
They also suggest a plan for janitorial services and ensuring that there is no retaliation for employees who call attention to these concerns.
"And it's just fallen on deaf ears," Candeleria said.
Parents can opt for their kids to continue to learn at home. Candeleria says teachers deserve that same flexibility.
"We have a lot of educators who themselves are at risk because they have various underlying medical conditions," he said.
Because the guidelines from the TEA could change at any moment, he says all this time could've been better spent by fine tuning a district-wide remote learning plan.
"No child or educator should be in any school building until it is deemed safe. At this point we shouldn't even be having that conversation," Candeleria said.
As far as teacher flexibility goes, the TEA is leaving it up to each district.
