The Mt Abram Teachers Association would like to express its support for one of its members who has been put on paid administrative leave after fears about the potential risk of exposure to the Ebola virus.
The Department of Education chose this outstanding teacher to represent the state at the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium in Dallas, Texas; the 9th largest city in the United States. Even though the teacher was not exposed to anyone infected with the virus, the school board placed her on paid leave for 21 days as a precautionary measure. She accepted the Board’s decision to calm the fears and nerves of parents, students, and the community because her students are her number one priority.
It is important to note that this virus is not transmitted through the air, people are only infected with the virus if they come in contact with an infected person’s bodily fluid. In fact, the flu is much more contagious.
It is the teacher’s hope, along with the Association, that upon return to the classroom she will be treated with respect.
Was this letter really necessary?
Probably not necessary. But if it were my friend and co-worker who had accepted such a ludicrous, over-wrought, and over-dramatized response to a NON-problem with grace and aplomb, I think I would want to honor her with a show of respect and support. This well-respected teacher is an object lesson in class—–very unlike that attention-grabbing spoiled brat in Fort Kent.
Unchallenged ignorance is a slippery slope, be it in Newark, Augusta, or Strong. Kudos to ALL those who fight fear and fantasy with fact.
Marlene,
If the Daily Bull Dog had a “like” button, I would have just clicked it.
Marlene’s second sentence should be directed towards Kaci Hickox as well as the teacher she is writing about. Her last line is unfair and just plain wrong. Kaci is being hounded by the media – she didn’t ask for this. She is taking a principled stand; we should follow her lead, because she is absolutely right.
We need leadership that adheres to reason and can make rational decisions based on the best evidence we have, instead of running with the panicked herd.
That means health-care workers who may have been exposed to ebola should monitor themselves for any symptoms, and report them and self-quarantine at the slightest concern. We didn’t quarantine all of the dozens of healthcare workers in the Dallas hospital – they followed a procedure like this, and two cases were caught before they progressed to anyone else.
Exactly right, Hannah. I would add that we cannot depend on “leaders” to take us in the right direction, but must energetically discipline each other to stop attacking the best amongst us when they do what is right. Is it too much, even beyond that, to ask ourselves to give material, vocal, and moral support to these exemplary individuals? Contribute to legal funds for them? Send money to their supporting organizations (e.g. MSF)? Hold the media to account for its shoddy coverage? Simply speak up against the idiocy whenever we have a chance? These little acts, in sum, will make all the difference. Don’t cede the soapbox to the ignorant.
I agree, Marlene, but I feel the timing of this letter serves only to stir up settled dust. This may have been a non-problem but according to the CDC website it is only hypothesized that ebola is spread through direct contact, meaning they have made an educated guess rather than a guarantee. The teacher’s acceptance of the voluntary quarantine was a sign of mutual respect and was appreciated by the parents in Strong. The teacher was not targeted by the community as suggested by the antagonists who were more concerned with their own embarrassment. I would much rather have egg on my face than a child in the hospital fighting for their life. I don’t know if this was a problem but I don’t know it wasn’t. I will again reference the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
As for the case in northern Maine, Kaci Hickox contacted the media to aid in her fight to be released from quarantine in New Jersey. Once you feed the wolves you have to expect they will wait around for another meal.
The real world offers no guarantees, but if you live a life of what-ifs, demanding impossible certainty to allay demonstrably unreasonable fears, you end up hurting yourself and others…including the children.
Perhaps that is what the original letter attempts to address: the damage and doubts sown by irrational fear won’t go away in 21 days. The effects of an action like this snowball. Insisting others give in to fears dismissed by national and international consensus to spare the irrational discomfort of an uninformed few is just lazy bullying, and giving in to bullying sets the stage for more of the same next time.
Take the trouble to confront irrational fears instead. Have the meetings. Talk to the fearful about their real misconceptions. Give them the tools of knowledge to become less afraid. If you don’t have the facts in your back pocket, have another meeting later and come better prepared next time, but don’t give in to ignorance.
Most often, the truth is not in the middle between two extremes, and to suggest it is and that it is always reached through compromise simply enables rampant, insideous nonsense.
As for blaming another victim for blowing the whistle on two governors’ grandstanding, claiming she brought injustice on herself: perhaps that idea should go back to the drawing board for re-examination of its flawed premises and disturbing implications.
Ms. HIckox is probably fine. Clearly no one wants her to become ill. Having said that, if I came home from Africa after having been on the front lines of treating ebola patients as she was, I think I would be gracious about respecting peoples’ fear and misgivings, find a few good books, and use the 21 days to chill out and do things a BIT less self-serving than getting my face on TV and ranting about my ‘rights’.
We WILL learn more about the transmission of ebola; things WILL calm down. But I believe Ms. Hickox is as guilty of ‘over the top’ behavior as the two governors cited in the responses above.