The Show on KJZZ

Listen live weekdays at 9 a.m.

Teacher Absences Lead To Temporary Closures At Scottsdale Schools

By Rocio Hernandez
Published: Monday, November 30, 2020 - 5:59pm
Updated: Tuesday, December 1, 2020 - 8:57am

The Scottsdale Unified School District had to close five schools Monday because it didn't have enough teachers or subs to cover all the teachers absences at those school sites, Superintendent Scott Menzel said in a statement

The closure impacted 6,540 students in both in-person and remote classes. Students may have to make up the lost day of instruction at the end of the school year, Menzel said. 

Menzel announced late Monday that only Cocopah and Mountainside Middle schools will reopen for in-person learning on Tuesday. Arcadia High School, Chaparral High School and Desert Mountain High School will transition to online learning starting Tuesday and will remain in that mode for the rest of the semester.

“This was not an easy decision, but it is one that was made following the guidelines established by the Governing Board regarding determining potential return to online learning on a school-by-school basis in consultation with public health officials,” Menzel said in a Monday statement. “It is our hope that this will also result in freeing up enough substitute teachers to cover other buildings and allow the District to continue offering in-person instruction through the end of the semester.”

The teacher absences were not part of a coordinated effort by the Scottsdale Education Association, said President Becky Williams. She's heard some teachers stayed home because they have COVID symptoms or had been around someone who has tested positive. She's also heard other teachers are concerned about their safety since the district has continued holding in-person classes. 

“We see in the communities that even though families have been asked and the community have been asked to practice mitigating strategies outside of schools, we see large gatherings, we see people not social distancing, not wearing masks," Williams said. 

While no one wants to go back to virtual instruction or thinks its an ideal teaching situation, the association thinks its the safest option given the current spike in COVID cases.

If the district doesn’t agree, the association is asking that at least middle and high schoolers return to distance learning, Williams said. 

Coronavirus Education