DeKalb County teachers return to the classroom amid COVID-19 concerns

DeKalb County teachers are back in the classroom as students continue to learn remotely. School district officials took FOX 5 on a tour of Southwest Dekalb High School to show off the safety measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on campus. 

The messages are clear from the moment one enters the building: "Wash your hands," "Stand six feet apart," "For your safety, please wear a mask."

The signs, hand sanitizer stations, and other safety measures, found throughout the school, have been implemented at all DeKalb County School District campuses ahead of teachers' return to their classrooms Wednesday.

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While the educators are back on campus, their students will continue remote learning for the time being.

District 5 School Superintendent Dr. Triscilla Weaver said, "We are eagerly awaiting our faculty and staff to come back in the building. We have been working, really all summer, making sure that our buildings are safe and clean for them to come back in."

Several teachers and community members, unhappy about the district's decision to have teachers return to campus, held protests in recent weeks. They don't believe the district has adequate safety measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools and tried to convince school district leaders to reconsider.

"We've had several meetings with our teachers as recently as yesterday," said Dr. Glanton. "I've met with groups of teachers. I've met with individual teachers. I've heard their concerns. I've met with them to ensure they understand we are doing what we can to make them feel safe and secure."

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While Dr. Glanton understands teachers' concerns, he believes changes implemented during the remote learning period over the past year, frequent cleaning, and strict adherence to safety protocols is evidence everything possible is being done to ensure a safe learning environment.

"The school district has done an awesome job to ensure that we have some safety and security measures in place as outlined by the CDC," said Glanton. "We commend our custodial team for all the work they've done preparing our buildings to make our buildings safe and secure.  We also have provided a message throughout our community that we are expecting all of our students and faculty to wear masks and wash their hands."

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