Winter break seemed to arrive just in time for educators as they navigate teaching during the pandemic.
âAll of our staff is just very tired and weary,â Rebecca Dickenson, president of the Blount County Education Association, said in a phone interview this month. âWeâre trying. Weâre doing the best we can, and itâs hard.â
During Decemberâs Blount County Board of Education meeting, Dickenson shared the results of an informal email survey of Blount County Schools teachers who belong to the association.
Only 32% of those who responded agreed that they felt safe at school, and only about 16% said they have enough staff to teach effectively, although Dickenson noted many said that answer depends on the day.