Portland teachers remain cautious despite vaccines
Union leader: Until vaccines proven, district should beef up student support to combat inequities.
With vaccines shipping to battle COVID-19, the pressure on schools in Oregon to resume classroom instruction is growing. The Portland Tribune spoke with Portland Association of Teachers President Elizabeth Thiel regarding how her more than 3,000 members feel about that prospect.
The answer? Hopeful, but needing a lot more information about how the vaccines will work. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Portland Tribune: What are your members experiencing right now?
Thiel: I have heard so many people tell me they ve never worked more hours in their life. There was a huge learning curve with technology. Teachers were given basically a few days to learn to teach in an entirely new way this fall.