I've talked to more than a dozen @MetroSchools educators today and heard stories of several more who have gone to great lengths to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of schools reopening next week. https://twitter.com/memangrum/status/1357002501829120000

I've heard three common themes from almost every one of them:

1. Educators want to be in person. They know remote learning has its challenges and they know the best teaching and learning happens in the classroom.

Among the educators I've talked to are social workers, special education teachers, English as a second language teachers — they are also worried about what their students are going through when they don't see them every day.

2. They want the vaccine not just to protect themselves, but to protect others as well. Though the science is out on whether vaccines prevent the spread of the virus, they are hopeful.

They want to do what they can to protect their students, their families, their community.

3. I've had multiple teachers express how "heartwrenching" it is when they see on social media or hear from friends, neighbors, lawmakers, etc. that teachers are lazy or that they should quit if they don't want to return in-person.