Things are moving fast with Little Rock's school district and the teacher union that represents about 60 percent of the teachers therein. Maybe too fast. Perhaps everyone can slow down just a bit. As the Book says, come, let us reason together.
Over the weekend, the Little Rock Education Association decided its teachers would shift to virtual instruction only. Apparently that was a surprise to the district. By Monday evening, the union had reversed itself:
"I think the public response has really hurt a lot of teachers," said the union president, "and that is unfortunate."
This whole year has been unfortunate. A pandemic is unfortunate. But some kids have already lost a spring semester of education. To lose another semester might put some behind permanently.
The superintendent has indicated some teachers would be disciplined for not showing up Monday morning.
That was the last we heard, anyway--as of this writing. Like we noted, things are moving fast.
It would be better if everybody involved decides to slow down, watch a few ball games this weekend, and come back Monday after a cooling-off period. Then perhaps put together a Zoom meeting.
The union has insisted that none of this was a strike or a work stoppage, but just a move to virtual-only learning. It would help, next time, to coordinate that with the district. Other districts, other schools, have had to go to virtual-only learning after outbreaks of covid-19. But we don't remember reading other stories in which the teachers decided to flip the switch without telling the superintendents about their plans. We don't begrudge Mike Poore and Johnny Key if they're hot under the collar just now. Parents might be, as well.
None of this means that teachers shouldn't be concerned. In 2020, everybody is concerned. And the paper just noted this week that Jody Jenkins, the superintendent of the Atkins School District, died from the coronavirus on Tuesday. Educators are at risk, as are all other Americans.
But school districts need more than a few hours' warning when a union decides, for itself, that teachers will teach from home. Little Rock's school district was apparently scrambling Monday morning to get staff, and even employees at the Arkansas Department of Education, dispatched to schools to cover classrooms.
That's not reasoning together. That's a wreck.