By David Huggins

Before I get into the words I want to say, I think it's fair that the reader understands a little about my background. My early life was a series of three-year stints at various Army bases throughout the United States. Since graduating from high school, I have spent time in numerous jobs from intelligence analyst in the Army to sales to corrections to security to a table games dealer. Between 2010 and 2012, I finished my B.A. in history and got a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from UNLV, and for the last eight years, I have been a teacher in Clark County.

Being a social studies and history teacher, I read newspapers, watch the news and learn whatever I can. I never in my life thought I would witness the history I have in 2020. This year I have seen a global pandemic, extreme division in American society and law enforcement become the most vilified job profession in the country.

Four months ago, teachers were heroes for quickly switching over to online distance education. There were so many stories, videos and social media posts from parents recognizing and respecting the job that teachers do. Homeschooling and trying to teach their own children seemed to really open the eyes of many parents, shown in Twitter messages saying “teachers need to be paid more” and “teachers are truly a rare breed if they can do this with 35 different personalities in one room.” I began to think that maybe society was turning a corner.

In March the federal government passed the CARES Act. The act provided many protections and helped those out of work. With many of those benefits soon coming to an end and savings accounts drained, parents need to go back to work. I also understand the economic issues and the fact that people need and want income to support and care for their families — but parents need to stop looking at schools as daycare centers and at teachers as day care workers. (Alternatively, if you do wish to see us like that, then pay us like you pay daycare centers. According to KTNV Channel 13 in Las Vegas, in 2018, the average cost of child care in the valley was $1,365 per month. Extrapolating that out, it would cost approximately $184,291.20 a year for the average total number of kids I teach.)

Because teachers want a safe work environment, like every other worker in Nevada, there is now a seeming perception that teachers who do want to return to full-time, in-person teaching are holding back the economy. Because of this, educators have now become the targets of criticism. The comments sections on stories about school openings and teachers wanting safety for them and their students are, to say the least, demoralizing. The comments I see the most are “fire them if they won't go back,” “teachers just indoctrinate our kids; we don't need them,” “we need to go to work so teachers need to be in the classroom,” and my favorite one, “teachers are overpaid and underworked.” In four months, we went from heroes for switching to distance learning to being vilified because we, too, are afraid of dying from a global pandemic.

As a well-educated man, I can safely posit that the majority of this negativity directed at teachers comes from people who have absolutely no clue what we do or how things work in our profession. So, let's address the major issues, starting with the claim that we are overpaid and underworked. Teachers are paid year-round based on a contracted ten-month school year. We bring home less during school months so that we also have income during the summer. And summer, as well as after-school hours, weekends, and various holiday breaks are often not true breaks. I spend many hours during those “break” times grading, inputting grades, answering parent email, lesson planning, engaging in professional development to maintain my license or teaching summer school.

As for indoctrinating students, according to Merriam-Webster, the word “indoctrination” means "brainwash" to many people — and it is usually this meaning or connotation that I see used in social media and newspaper comments. But as a middle school teacher, I see my students for 55 minutes a day. Students spend multiple hours a week with friends and parents and even greater amounts of time on social media. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, parents spend anywhere from 1 to 2.5 hours a day with their children, on average, and surveys and reports showing that children spend four to nine hours a day on social media are not hard to find. So how is it that the one adult who spends the least amount of time with your child is the one indoctrinating them…? 

The simple answer: we are not indoctrinating your kids; we are teaching. We teach them to read, write, speak and think critically. The allegations of brainwashing have taken root in some circles because too many people believe all they read on the internet and are too lazy to actually research the truth.

Finally, all of the economics aside, when did COVID-19 suddenly become a non-issue for parents and their kids? In March, parents wanted schools closed to protect their kids, yet now in July, many seem to want schools open five days a week. The argument? COVID-19 doesn't affect kids. But according to the Mayo clinic:

“Children of all ages can become ill with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). But most kids who are infected typically don't become as sick as adults and some might not show any symptoms at all. Know the symptoms of COVID-19 in babies and children, why children might be affected differently by COVID-19 and what you can do to prevent the spread of the virus.” 

Per the CDC, there have been 188 COVID-19 deaths for persons age 24 and under. Just this week, there were multiple stories about babies in Texas being diagnosed with COVID-19 — and nearly one-third of all children tested in Florida being positive. 

How would you feel if you were the parent of one of those 188 young people who have died? How will you feel if you are one of those parents that pushes and pushes for schools to be open and your child gets sick and passes away? How will you feel if your child gets COVID-19 and brings it home and one or more parents, grandparents or siblings pass away? Are you sure you still want your kids in school five days a week? How about two? Or does distance education suddenly look a little sweeter and safer?

As for me, I am 54 years old, diabetic and live with and help my 79-year-old mother. For people like her and me, COVID-19 is pretty much a death sentence. 

Do I want to be back in my classroom? You bet I do. Every day I read one of the many messages, emails, letters or cards that have been given to me by former students over the last eight years expressing gratitude for listening, for helping and for being there. I miss those moments in class when a student’s eyes light up because they “got it.” I miss those moments when a student scores in the 90s for the first time. I miss the conversations with kids who are excited to tell me what they did or are going to do. I miss the after school hours helping my struggling kids and seeing them go home more confident in their abilities and proud of their accomplishments. I miss working with my National Junior Honor Society kids. 

But losing my life for my job so that others can go to work is not an option. Though I miss work greatly, the one thing I do not want to miss is seeing my own daughter go through life. I want to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. To see her eyes sparkle at the birth of her first child. To watch her succeed and excel in her job, and most of all, to become the woman I know she can become. 

I should be the one who buries my mother now that my dad is gone. My mother should not have to bury her son so soon after losing her husband. Because of all of this, I do not want to be a pawn in society's great experiment to open schools in the midst of a pandemic that is so bad in the U.S. that only a handful of countries are even allowing U.S. citizens to enter. 

You called us heroes in March. Now some of you don’t seem to care if we die in August. 

David Huggins is a public school teacher in Clark County.