JACKSONVILLE, Fla — While much of the focus on back-to-school plans has centered on keeping students safe and parents happy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many teachers and school employees feel their voices and concerns are not being heard.
That's why a group of Duval County Public School teachers organized a "Motor March" Tuesday morning, protesting the state-mandated reopening of schools in August.
The group of educators says resuming in-person classes in the fall will put their lives in danger as well.
Teachers emblazoned their vehicles with signs and car paint, sending strong messages to the state and to the Duval County School Board.
"If the school board can't meet in person, then why should teachers, staff and students?" one sign read.
Another vehicle was painted with the message "Keep schools closed." Another said "Lives over lessons."
Duval County teachers conduct Motor March to protest returning to school in-person
"We were asked over a month ago what we wanted, and at that time, we were not a hot spot," said teacher Stacie Dern, who helped organize the rally to give teachers like herself a voice. "We all thought by August it would be safe to return. We were never given an opportunity to say, based on current numbers, what do you think is best now?"
After one lap of honking around the Duval County School Board office parking lot, a security guard taped off the area.
"Teachers' decisions are driven by DATA. What about yours? #NotYourGuineaPig," a vehicle's window said.
One teacher on Facebook Live told First Coast News she feels like her voice was silenced.
In a virtual school board meeting, leaders said they plan to ask the state to allow hybrid options for students sixth grade and up to allow part of their schooling in-person and part online.
"We have enough people with serious concerns that if we don't get the opportunity to start online, and not just for some, because now we have us introducing a new chaotic situation where some kids are going to go online, some kids might be hybrid. They're all paying attention to this meeting and seeing what eventually rolls out Thursday."
Dern says Thursday is when we should see a more concrete plan from the school board.
Until a vaccine is widely available, this group of teachers does not want to return to school until there are two weeks with no new local cases of COVID-19.