Teachers Across the Country Demand That School Systems Offer Better COVID-19 Protection

October 29 01:24 2020

Norristown, PA – Educators around the country are demanding that schools do more to protect them against COVID-19 risks. Some teachers are even refusing to return to work until commitments are made for providing the protocols and materials needed to reduce infection risks. In New York City, the city’s teachers’ union was prepared to strike for the first time in 45 years before an agreement was reached with city officials regarding how to safely open schools. The start date for the city’s hybrid learning plan was pushed from Sept. 10 to Sept. 21 to give educators and administrators more time to prepare.

Other cities face unprecedented teacher departures as more and more teachers tell officials they don’t feel safe returning to the classroom. In Indianapolis, school officials are scrambling to find substitutes to lead classrooms after many teachers have taken leaves of absence or filed for early retirement. School systems are facing criticism about their lack of preparedness.

“Overall, there was just this utter disrespect for teachers and their lives,” Kay Orzechowicz, an English teacher at Griffith High School in Indiana, told the Associated Press. When speaking to the press, Orzechowicz shared that she decided to take early retirement even though she had planned to continue her teaching career for at least a few more years due to her worries that her school’s leadership would not be providing safety equipment for students and teachers. It is a worry shared by teachers, students, and the parents of students from around the country. In Indiana alone, more than 600 teacher retirements have been submitted since the middle of the summer. Surveys conducted among teachers show that even more retirements could be coming as the academic year progresses. Shortages of both full-time teachers and substitutes are creating chaos in school systems from Connecticut to Utah.

“Many educators are afraid of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to their spouses, children, grandchildren, or elderly relatives. They don’t feel that their schools are doing everything possible to create safe environments through the use of certified, readily available PPE,” shares a spokesperson for Secure Components, a company out of Pennsylvania that supplies N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE).

One way that leadership at Secure Components believes school districts can restore confidence among teachers is by providing effective masks and PPE. Multiple studies have shown that N95 masks are incredibly effective at reducing the transmission of particles that may contain COVID-19. N95 masks are significantly more effective than popular options like 3-ply masks and neck gaiters.

“Ensuring a steady supply of quality, authentic N95 masks is a great starting point for school districts who want to show both teachers and the public that they are committed to creating safe learning environments. Infections that happen in school impact the entire community due to the easy spread of COVID-19” shares Secure Components leadership. The Secure Components team also stresses the importance of school systems working with vetted, confirmed suppliers of masks and PPE to avoid the rampant counterfeit issues that have cropped up since the start of the pandemic.

About Secure Components

Secure Components of Norristown, Pennsylvania, is a highly respected distributor of PPE and other equipment for several government and private entities. In addition to obtaining AS9120 certification in 2010, SC became the first company in the world certified to AS6081 for Counterfeit Avoidance in 2013. Secure Components has completed thousands of contracts for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

Media Contact
Company Name: Secure Components
Contact Person: Nathan Doron – PPE Supply Chain Manager
Email: Send Email
Phone: 267-973-2913
Address:1000 East Main Street
City: Norristown
State: PA
Country: United States
Website: https://securecomponents.com/ppe/

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