PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona, a national COVID-19 hot spot, on Saturday passed the grim milestones of 10,000 deaths and 600,000 known cases since the pandemic began.
Peoria Unified closes some schools Monday as hundreds of teachers stage sickout
In-person and virtual learning resumes tomorrow for Peoria Unified School District.
and last updated 2021-01-11 19:30:19-05
PEORIA, AZ â Hundreds of teachers in the Peoria Unified School District staged a sickout Monday.
According to a district spokesperson, PUSD had 623 of the 2,150 certified staff members call out, protesting the return of in-person learning.
The @PeoriaUnified11 district had 623 certified staff members absent today.
There are 2,150 in the district. so close to 30%.
A majority are teachers, but could also include non-classroom certified staff, like counselors.
The callouts forced13 schools to close today. Danielle Lerner (@DanielleLerner) January 11, 2021
Teachers threaten sickout as some schools in Peoria remain open for in-person learning options
Classes cancelled due to staffing absences
As COVID cases continue to spike across the state, the concern of in-person learning comes into question and teachers in the Peoria Unified School District are planning a sick out to voice their concerns.
PEORIA, Ariz. - Whether it is safe for students and teachers to be in the classroom right now, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Arizona and elsewhere, has been a testy topic.
In Arizona, there is no statewide mandate on how schools should handle this latest surge, so it is up to each district to decide the path forward, with some bypassing county guidelines and some sticking to them.
A New Year begins with school districts struggling with a divisive question: to close classrooms or not to close?
Arizonaâs COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population soared to 112, the highest in the country, according to CDC data released Tuesday, Jan. 5. Arizonaâs rate was nearly double the national average.
And, as of Dec. 31, Glendale and Peoria ZIP codes were all above 500 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days, indicating a âsubstantialâ level of COVID-19 risk.
While previous guidance from public health officials was to close classrooms and have online teaching in communities with substantial spread, officials now urge districts to have students in classrooms.