teachers

What does an elementary school classroom look like right now? Photojournalist Natosha Via spent the day with one Louisville music teacher as she adjusted masks and sanitized xylophone mallets.

A teacher's aide who worked at Yukon’s Skyview Elementary School died Sunday.

Those who died include teachers, bus drivers, a security worker and a cafeteria manager. "It is a bruising statistic that we need to absolutely internalize," said Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.

As the school year started in August, cases of COVID-19 among teachers and students grew across Oklahoma. An Oklahoma City metro teacher named Anna shares her experience catching the coronavirus and missing more than a week of classes.

About 148,000 school employees, and contractors who work in schools, will have to have at least a first dose by Sept. 27. At least 63% of all school employees already have been vaccinated.

School districts around the country have seen incidents of anti-mask parents and protesters disrupting school board meetings and school events, and some are getting physically violent.

The mandate, effective Oct. 18, applies to all K-12 teachers and staff in the state. The news comes as states around the country grapple with rising cases and the return of in-person schooling.

Less than a week before schools are set to reopen in Broward County, Fla., local union officials say three educators have died of complications from the coronavirus. None of them were vaccinated.

"We are in a major surge now as we're going into the fall, into the school season. This is very serious business," Fauci said. He urges states and localities to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for teachers.

An estimated 1,300 Oklahoma college students working as student teachers will be paid for their work through a $12.75 million initiative funded by the CARES Act.