MACON, Ga. — First Presbyterian Day School teacher Robyn Washburn is willing to do whatever it takes to keep teaching her 1st grade students in-person.
"I was excited to get my first vaccine. I just had it on Monday. I know that it was important for them to be here, so I need to stay healthy for my students," Washburn said.
FPD Head of School John Patterson says most of their staff members want to get vaccinated, and many already have.
"The teachers who have had them done have expressed that this group of people who are doing these at the health department are getting them done, so we're just pushing the people to the local areas. We are not offering them here at the school. We just don't feel a need to do that," Patterson said.
After talking with local health leaders, Stratford Academy Head of School Logan Bowlds is taking a similar approach.
"Our plan was to allow our teachers to go and get it on their own. Substitute teachers and staff would be on hand to cover those classes knowing that we'd would have several out all at once going to get it," Bowlds said.
"We wondered how would this all work out? I think we were all sort of anxious what the plan would be, but then when we learned we would just sign up when we could, everybody that I know on the staff has done that, and it's just been an incredibly easy process," Stratford's Head of Upper School Theresa Ferrari said.
Tattnall Square Academy sent us an email, explaining a similar plan to provide information and allow time for teachers to get appointments. These educators hope it'll bring us one step closer to normalcy.
"I think the vaccine has just provided just a deep breath air of saying. Man we're getting towards, near the end of this epidemic,'" Patterson said.
"What does a post-COVID era school look like? And those are the conversations we're having right now," Bowlds said.
Stratford aims to have their teachers vaccinated by the end of April.
Mount de Sales President David Held sent a statement saying most of their teachers already got the vaccine. The U-Save-It Pharmacy staff will be on their campus next week to administer shots to staff members.
St. Joseph's Catholic School wasn't able to give a response by our deadline.
All of the schools we spoke to say they're not mandating vaccinations, just strongly encouraging them.