Aimee Peters

Pleasant Valley teachers Aimee Peters and Alexandria Medenciy after receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 5. PV anticipates to vaccinate the 89 percent of interested teachers with their first dose before returning to 100 percent in-person school.

During December of 2020, COVID-19 vaccinations became available to medical professionals, front line workers, and elderly in nursing homes. Now, with a push to get kids back in school full-time, teachers in certain states have been added to the list of who qualifies for the vaccine. 

Last March, COVID-19 lockdowns forced schools to turn to remote learning. As a result this fall, many schools adopted a hybrid or 100 percent online learning methods. Yet, many people are aiming to get students back in-person full-time, and are hoping to achieve this through teacher vaccinations. 

As of Feb. 4, at least 24 states as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have granted teachers eligible to receive the vaccine. Despite the eligibility, not all teachers are interested in receiving it, with only 89 percent of teachers in the district indicating that they wanted to get the vaccine. 

High school math teacher Barb Pischke plans to get the vaccine and is not deterred by any potential concerns. “Because it’s so new, there’s a little concern, but I have to trust the medical professionals. I’m excited to get the vaccine, hoping it’s the beginning of the end of this virus,” she explained.

For PV teachers who planned to receive the vaccine, the first dose was administered Feb. 5, with more continuing throughout the following week. 

High school photography and art teacher Aimee Peters was among the first teachers to get the vaccine and described it as “super easy.” “They had a very good set up. Walked in and sat and waited for my number like at the DMV, and I only waited for less than five minutes,” she said.

Peters described her process to be super easy, painless and even enjoyable. “They gave me the shot, it was painless. Then I was told to follow the blue line to the waiting area where we could wait until our time was up. It was like a party in the waiting area,” she explained.

With the district returning to 100 percent in-person learning on Feb. 16, staff is hopeful to have received the first dose of the vaccine before starting back with full classes.