LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Education said all K-12 teachers in the Commonwealth who wanted a COVID-19 vaccine have had the chance to receive their doses. Lately, President Joe Biden has been urging states to get teachers to the front of the line so schools can reopen. Here in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear prioritized K-12 teachers in Phase 1B from the beginning.
What You Need To Know
- KY Department of Education says all K-12 teachers who wanted a COVID-19 vaccine have had the chance to receive their doses
- Gov. Andy Beshear prioritized teacher vaccines in Phase 1B
- By late February, almost all teachers in the Commonwealth were fully vaccinated or were about to be
- Beshear issued an executive order urging schools to offer some form of in-person learning
For weeks now, those teachers who wanted a vaccine were able to start getting their appointments. By late February, almost all teachers in the Commonwealth were fully vaccinated or were about to be. However, some districts still had not established plans to return to in-person learning.
That's when Beshear issued an executive order urging schools to offer some form of in-person learning on March 1 or seven days after educators get a second vaccine dose. The governor said he did not put teachers at the front of the list for no reason. The point was to get students back in class. Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Jason Glass said he supported Beshear in this move.
“There is a sense of relief with that vaccination, but also for people working in our schools, there is a moral obligation. They were elevated in this process so that we could restore those in-person services and be of services to our kids and community,” Glass said.
At the end of the day, Beshear's order was simply a recommendation. The ultimate decision was still up to school boards. At the time of the order in late February, 166 of 171 districts had already returned to some form of in-person learning. Most notably, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) still had made no plans to return at that time.
Soon after, the JCPS School Board narrowly voted on Feb. 26 to reopen in-person under a hybrid schedule starting March 17.
Since that time, many districts set plans to move off a hybrid schedule and instead transition to more days of in-person learning. As of March 9, the Kentucky School Boards Association said at least 141 of Kentucky's 171 school districts have announced plans to hold in-person instruction four or five days a week for all students by the end of the month.
Glass thanked Beshear for prioritizing teacher vaccinations. He said the move pushed more districts to reopen and continue serving students in the Commonwealth.