In just the first two days of returning back to school from break, over 35 teachers have been excused and absent from some schools, whether from covid or as preventative measures to protect their own health. Even with substitute teachers, the number of missing school faculty cannot be made up, and classes have had to be combined so that enough students are provided with an instructor.

With Gwinnett being the largest county in Georgia, in-person instruction across elementary, middle, AND high schools contributes largely to the sky-rocketing covid cases not only across our state but even nationally as people travel and interact with one another. 

Although in-person instruction is ideal, it is not more important than the healths (AND LIVES) of students, teachers, families, people who are immunocompromised, people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, etc.

I myself feel that I am compromising my wellbeing simply to not receive too many absences, lose my GPA, fall behind on school work, and much more, but these should not be the criteria that determine health or sickness and life or death. 

Sign this petition in support of GCPS transitioning back to digital instruction for 3 weeks as a preventative (and not permanent) measure in order to help reduce the spread of covid between those around us.