MADISON (WKOW) -- After months of leading classes from their homes, some teachers in Madison will be back at school on Thursday, but in protest.
A growing group of teachers and staff in the Madison Metropolitan School District are organizing a "teach out", to stand up against MMSD's plan to phase back to in-person learning at some schools this month.
"This was our way to organize in an actionable way," said La Follette English teacher Deidre Jarecki. "To really show up for that solidarity, to make sure that we can return safely."
The teachers and their union say the district has not laid out a clear plan on how schools will be made safe and they want teachers prioritized to get the vaccine.
The goal of the teach out is to stand with the teachers and staff who have been in classrooms since fall, like those working the district's child care program for school-aged kids, plus those who are returning to in-person classes starting Monday.
"It should not be put on them to figure it out. We know as educators that there are certain things that you can't know in advance, but there are certain things that should be put in place ahead of time so that we can best meet the needs of our students," Jarecki told 27 News.
Public health officials had said they didn't have enough doses to start vaccinating teachers in Dane County until mid March, though SSM Health has started a vaccination program for certain districts.
MMSD staff and community members, including parents, signed on to a letter to the district superintendent calling for a review of the return plans.
"We were not really given much of a chance. It was well, either take your assignment or find a different job. And, you know we should have fought harder for that. But now you know we're saying, no. Enough is enough. We need to stop this," said Amy Garvoille, an East High School English teacher.
Garvoille said that school is still healing from the loss of a high school student who died of COVID-19 last fall, so a return right now is just too risky. She says the building is not ready for students to return, though the district has not set a plan yet for moving high school classes back to in person learning.
She plans to join the teach out and said they'll work to make sure only the location will be different. Teachers will still teach their virtual classes, from the parking lot instead of their homes.
"I'm going to figure it out the way I figure it out every day when I'm in my house teaching," Garvoille said. "I will do it. It's what I'm here to do."
David Olson, who teaches music at Van Hise Elementary School and Spring Harbor Middle School, is protesting in a different way.
"My feeling is if you don't feel safe, you should not be forced to go into a building, whether you're a student, or a teacher, or a parent, or a staff member," he told 27 News.
Olson started a leave of absence this week as another form of teach out. His home teaching studio cannot be transported to school to teach in person for some and virtually for others. The logistical challenge is too much to deal with, he said, along with the risks of spreading the virus in a class where singing is a regular activity.
"I want to be there for my students and so returning to work is something that I value very highly but this is my version of doing the teach out, is bringing awareness to the issue that this hasn't been thought through by the district. The plan that was presented is incomplete," Olson said.
All three teachers hope their voices are heard in their protests and district officials review their plans.
In response to the news of the teach out Monday, an MMSD spokeperson said in an email, "Our teachers' voices are very important for everyone to hear, and we want to recognize their more thoughtful approach with a teach-out, as it provides balance between making their voices heard and not disrupting the continuity of education and keeping our students at the center."
District officials said they are working with public health officials and exploring other options to speed up the vaccination process for staff.
MMSD did not respond to questions Tuesday about the open letter.
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'We need to stop this': Teachers to protest Madison school return plan - WKOW
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