NC charter school requires teachers get COVID vaccine, first in Charlotte region
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Charlotte 2021 Back to School
Due to COVID-19, masks are required at CMS and adults are encouraged to get vaccinated. There’s also a push among educators ad parents to catch up students who lost academic progress during the pandemic.
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A North Carolina public charter school in Matthews appears to be the first in the Charlotte area to require educators be vaccinated against COVID-19.
All staff and teachers at Socrates Academy must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Thanksgiving unless they submit a religious or medical exemption — or tender their resignation, the academy’s board of directors decided last week.
Board members of Socrates Academy, a school that serves students in grades K-9, said they took careful consideration of the implications the decision could have on faculty, staff and students. Even without the mandate, school officials report that most of the teachers at Socrates are already vaccinated.
The board also met Monday to discuss the mandate after listening to pleas from teachers for the board to reconsider. Board members again voted unanimously for the mandate.
“From the beginning, we have taken a position that we need to follow science,” board President Larry Peroulas said in a statement provided to the Observer. “There is clear evidence showing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and, combined with other safety measures such as masking, are the most powerful measures we have against the pandemic.
“We agree with national teacher groups that such measures are appropriate, responsible, and necessary to ensure the safety of our school community and to protect our students.”
In a letter to parents, the academy said it already requires masking of faculty, staff, and students and has implemented extensive mitigation strategies to prevent the spread of the virus, including scheduling vaccine clinics for staff and students and offering weekly COVID-19 testing for employees and students who have opted in.
Janice Soucey, the development and communications facilitator for the school, told the Observer that effective Nov. 25, complete COVID-19 vaccination is a condition of employment at Socrates, absent medical or religious exemptions that can be submitted at least 30 days prior to Nov. 25.
“Personnel who do not intend to comply with the complete COVID-19 vaccination must give notice by Oct. 22,” Soucey said.
Charter schools in North Carolina, like Socrates, are tuition-free and most use a lottery admissions application process. So far, North Carolina public education officials have not made moves to require COVID-19 vaccines for classroom teachers.
Last Thursday, President Joe Biden said he’s asked the federal Labor Department to issue mandatory vaccine rules for large companies. The standard will require companies with more than 100 workers to verify that their workforce is vaccinated or get tested weekly for COVID-19. That’s also the strategy Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has adopted, announcing this week that vaccinate verification will start soon, followed by regular on-site testing at schools.
In two North Carolina public school districts — Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools — boards have voted to require COVID-19 vaccinations of staff.
Teacher reaction to vaccine mandate
Several teachers spoke out against the mandate at the meeting Monday, including Cynthia Christian, the academically and intelligent/gifted students (AIG) co-coordinator for K-5. Christian tearfully told the board that she has many “deep concerns about the long-term effects of this vaccine.”
“I respectfully request that you reconsider this drastic decision and allow us to continue the weekly protocols that we have been faithfully following,” Christan said. “I have many deep concerns about the long-term effects of this vaccine. Please reconsider your mandate. We have all taken personal responsibility to stay healthy.”
In the U.S., emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines was first approved by federal officials in December. The Pfizer vaccine, which requires two shots, has since been granted full FDA approval.
Anna Kinslow, speaking on behalf of a group of teachers said: “We are writing this in total disbelief and are sad at the thought of having to choose our career or a new vaccine. We come to school as teachers, co-workers and surrogate parents. We’re being told that in order to fulfill these duties and many others we must make a life-changing decision rather quickly. This vaccine is being forced on us, and it goes against our beliefs and gut instincts. We are being pushed into a corner.”
Board member Zoi Philippakos said they were not trying to be the adversary.
“The goal is to do the best for the children, the best for the faculty, the best we can,” Philippakos said.
According to its Socrates Academy’s COVID-19 dashboard, updated weekly, there have been 11 positive cases among staff and students since the school year began. There are eight students with known direct exposure and two quarantined staff.
Of its student body, 19% have opted in for weekly COVID-19 testing, and 85% of its faculty and staff are fully vaccinated.
“While we’ve hoped that we could attain an improved level of health and safety for all without having to require the vaccine, this new Delta variant, and those that may follow, are simply proving to be too much of a risk for our school community,” Principal Vanessa Baker said.
“Requiring vaccination of all employees is an additional precaution to continue to prevent the spread of illness and protect our school community.”
Socrates Academy is a preparatory school that has been in operation for 16 years and enrolls 828 students. In 2018, it was the only charter school in North Carolina to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 5:30 PM.
