Birmingham School Board Addresses Faculty COVID Concerns

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Amid widespread absences among students and teachers from COVID-19, Birmingham City Schools teachers requested changes to policies to make their jobs safer. The Birmingham Board of Education addressed those concerns Tuesday, according to a WBRC report.

• Among the requests from BCS teachers are:
• Additional air purifiers for classrooms
• More pay for teachers who cover classes when other teachers are absent
• Enhanced building sanitation and cleaning
• Increased custodian training for all schools.

The district will also extend employee COVID leave and will offer professional development for employees on health and safety during the pandemic. Employees who complete those courses will receive a $1,000 stipend.

"We recognized that there was a percentage of our employees that had concerns," superintendent Mark Sullivan said to WBRC. "And so, we listened to what those concerns were, and I think that our board did a lot tonight to address a lot of those concerns."

Read more about Tuesday's Birmingham Board of Education meetingon wbrc.com.