Teachers are getting doctors notes to be excused from in-person teaching

[Renew Deal]

I spoke with someone at a doctors office today that told me that teachers are requesting doctors notes so they don't have to teach in-person in September. I don't know what level the teachers are working at and if the notes will be accepted.

[BigmanPigman]

1. That's what I would do and have done.

My school district was trying to save money by not hiring substitutes and doubling up classes. After being sick for three weeks, working while ill most of the time, I got a doctor's note (again). Actually my doctors told me NOT to return, ever. They said my job was basically killing me (a sick, moldy classroom killed my immune system and I was sick 90% of school year). I couldn't get retirement since not enough years in though. Now am living on disability and ACA with tax credits.

If teachers can't bet a sick note, they should check out their contracts and see if they can take a leave of absence. That is another option. They can also get a mental health note from a doctor claiming anxiety about returning and Covid. They can also say they are caring for a family member(there is leave for that too). Check with the union and study the contract.

[skylucy]

2. I know teachers who had gotten notes from doctors. However, Governor Newsom saved the day

and they will now be teaching remotely.

[Squinch]

3. In NYC teachers were told to do this by the school administrators. If there are

reasons why they should not be in the buildings, they asked for documentation of that fact.

[keithbvadu2]

4. Trumpsters should easily support such a genuine program.

Trumpsters should easily support such a genuine program.

Fter all. they came up with the fake face mask exemption card.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142524039

[Cuthbert Allgood]

5. My Dr is recommending I not teach in-person if at all possible.

Combination of asthma and immune system issues. Not sure what's going to happen.

I live in WI, and if I had to guess, even if we start in person, it won't last long before we have to shut down.

[Ms. Toad]

6. It's a challenging legal issue.

In most schools you can take FMLA - you use up all you sick days first (generally) and then take leave without pay for up to 12 weeks out of the year. All it does is save your job - they can't fire you if you are sick or taking care of a sick relative.

The ADA creates the possibility of accommodations - including teaching remotely. BUT the ADA is only triggered by a disability. The definition has gotten looser - but it is personal. You can't seek an accommodation if your child has juvenile diabetes (for example) and you should not be exposed to avoid threatening her health. Many of the things I've seen cited would not qualify as disabilities. A disability under the ADA is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. I have well-controlled type II diabetes. It does not limit one or more major life activity at all, and never has (so no history). Currently, my A1C would not even merit a diagnosis (it is in the pre-diabetic range). No one knows I have it, so it doesn't qualify as a perception of a disability. So I don't have a disablity. But - because diabetes is one of the risk factors for COVID 19, I could easily get a doctor's note that I should teach remotely. But that note would not qualify me for an accommodation under the ADA, because I am not - generally - disabled.

Also, normally the HR department reviews and approves accommodations - so (at least in our situation) our supervisors (who know what might be possible) can't even ask about the healt-related reason for the accommodation.

So we were left with taking people at their words and working with them, or forcing them into the HR system, which means FMLA for individuals whose reason for staying home is a family member - and the ADA for those directly impacted who ALSO have a qualifying disability.

Not fun.