Omicron Surge Stresses Schools, Teachers Returning After Holiday Break

The Omicron variant is surging following the holidays and school districts in Oklahoma are coming back to class this week with this new ‘hurdle’ to address.  

Oklahoma Educator’s Association president Katherine Bishop says the ongoing pandemic continues to challenge educators.  

"The unknown is a huge factor that we're dealing with,” she said.  

Heavy workloads and a rise in behavioral issues among students are just a couple of the increased challenges teachers are facing.  

"It's not one factor, it's multiple factors. its layer upon layer of factors. It's the additional workload,” Bishop said.  

OEA did a survey with its members in September and discovered a fourth of them are planning to resign at the end of the year or are currently seeking another job. 

The Teacher Retirement Service – an agency that manages teacher retirement funds – reports an increase in teachers retiring during the pandemic.  

In December of 2021,103 teachers retired. In December of 2020,159. 

In 2019, 87, and in December of 2018, 71.  

Retirements overall are on track this year to increase by several hundred more than the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019. 

This comes as districts around the country work to mitigate the impacts of the highly contagious Omicron variant.  

In an interview this weekend about schools returning to the classroom, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said schools should work toward in person learning.  

“We have better tools than we had in the past to get it done. we know what works, and I believe even with Omicron, our default should be in-person learning for all students across the country,” Sec. Cardona said.  

COVID-19 tests are now scarce in the community, but not at districts that opted into a federally funded program to provide on-campus testing.  

The federally funded COVID 19 Prevention Project 723 deadline has been extended, with millions available to pay for testing and mitigation supplies on a first come first serve basis.  

The project is a partnership between the Oklahoma State Department of Education and The Oklahoma State Department of Health.  

OKCPS reports having 5,000 grant-funded tests on hand due to the program.  

Millwood Public Schools recently announced random testing in partnership with Community Health Centers once a week.  

Other districts are opting to send students to local clinics to get tested.  

 A booster for kids aged 12 and up is now approved by the FDA.  

There is still no vaccine for kids under the age of 5.