A teacher in the US state of Florida has written her own obituary and posted it in a Facebook group ahead of schools reopening on 20 August.
Teachers across the America are voicing their disapproval for schools reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Whitney Leigh Reddick, a special education teacher within the Duval County Public Schools system in Jacksonville, Florida, told Newsweek that her protest was about safety and not politics.
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She felt compelled to write the obituary as she realised that although she may not actually die from Covid-19, at least one teacher in Florida is likely to after students return on August 20, Newsweek reported.
Figures from the Florida Department of Health showed a rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations among children during the month of July.
She posted her obituary on a Facebook group called Duval Schools Pandemic Solutions Team, ahead of a school board meeting.
The post, written in third person, read: “Even though she shouted from the rooftops, attempted to be unemotional, and educated herself in facts and science, she succumbed to the ignorance of those in power.
“She returned to work, did her best to handle all the roles placed on her shoulders; educator, Covid-security guard, human shield, firefighter, social worker, nurse, and caregiver but the workload weakened her, and the virus took hold. Whitney was taken from us.”
This is not the first time that US teachers have resorted to unconventional means to voice their disapproval for schools reopening plans.
At the end of July, some teachers have sent their obituaries to the governor of the state of Iowa Kim Reynolds after she announced she would require students to spend at least half of their school time in classrooms.
And earlier this month, teachers in New York carried coffins and a guillotine to protest against mayor Bill De Blasio’s schools reopening plans.
