WASHINGTON — The vaccination rollout in the District does not only include traditional public school teachers and staff, but employees who work for public charter schools as well.
With a partnership between DC Health and One Medical, charter school educators and workers can start receiving their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a designated clinic this week.
In the midst of a limited number of vaccinations readily available, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced close to 2,000 doses have been allocated for charter schools in the first week. The number for traditional public schools was 3,950.
The distribution will have to come in waves since about 10,000 of the public charter school staff are eligible for the vaccine. Those who meet the requirements work in school buildings where in-person learning is taking place.
Unlike traditional schools under DCPS, each of the 128 campuses operated by 66 charter organizations can determine when and how they would like to reopen.
More than half of the charter schools have already been providing some version of in-person learning as of this month, which include in-person instruction more than one day a week, onsite teaching, hybrids, learning hubs and tutors.
KIPP and Friendship, the two largest charter networks in the city, both have 750 students participating in an in-person learning program.
"We had charter schools identify the need to serve students in person back in the summer and made arrangements to safely educate student with disabilities, students who are children of essential workers and other students where remote learning was just not going to work," Shannon Hodge of the DC Public Charter Alliance told WUSA9.
In some schools, more students could be brought back but not all the teachers are willing to return to class just yet, which Hodge said is something their specific directors are willing to respect.
Other teachers said they would rather be back in person to help fulfill the child's educational needs.
"We're very much looking forward to getting back in the classroom with our scholars. This vaccine is a big game changer for us," charter school teacher Yodit Ghebretinsae said while outside a One Medical center.
Gehbretinsae or 'Ms. G' works for IDEA Public Charter School in Northeast where officials piloted a new program this week that allows any students across the grades, capped at 25 students per session, to sign up for an academic intervention to make up missing or incomplete assignments.
In addition, the IDEA PCS reopening committee continues to develop ideas but for now, plan to stick to only offering in-person learning to students with dedicated aides, English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities two days a week, according to School Outreach & Student Resource Coordinator Taylor Ray.
The director for Social Justice School, a newer smaller charter school in the Northeast, said of his 53 students, only 12 come into the building four days a week who need extra help.
The DC Charter School Board stressed it does not have a one size fits all recommendation that fits public charter schools.
There are more than 44,000 students enrolled in a public charter school in the city. That makes up nearly half of enrolled students in D.C.