TPS Students, Teachers Returning To In-Person Learning This Week

Some Tulsa public school teachers and students are returning to in-person learning for the first time since the spring.

Pre-K and elementary school students and staff will return to the classroom Monday morning. One Tulsa teacher said he is in a tough position to where he cannot return to the classroom but believes the district is doing all they can to work with teachers and keep them safe. 

David Dean has taught seventh and eighth grade students at Tulsa MET for more than a decade. He said though many of his students have learning disabilities, they have done well with virtually learning during the pandemic. 

"We help students from all over the district,” Dean said. “I really love working there because it’s a place where we give everybody a second chance to be successful.” 

Dean said TPS asked him to return to the classroom on Monday along with the many Pre-K and elementary school students.

He said the district requested teachers at his school to teach in-person to help struggling or failing students. Dean said he can't because of his wife's health condition.

"My sweet wife Kristen is immune-compromised, so if she gets COVID, she is likely to die,” Dean said. “There are measures in place to try and make it safer, but I’m not really to gamble her life.”

Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Deborah Gist said the district is planning to give teachers like Dean paid leave.

 "While we do have some folks who knew previously that they needed to be in a virtual environment and asked and were able to be placed in our Virtual Academy, there are leave offer opportunities that are available to them if they’re not able to return to their position," Gist said. 

Dean said the district allowed him to continue teaching virtually and is confident in the school board will make the right decisions going forward.

"Are there any ideal solutions to a crisis like this? Probably there aren’t,” Dean said. “We just have to trust them that this is the right thing to do, and if it turns out not to be, I know they have the courage to change course in order to protect their children.”