Leaving Home Douglas High School re-opens despite state COVID-19 guidance, forcing this teacher to leave the job she loves. BY KATI PARAZOO, TEACHER, DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL ON OCT. 6, 2020, I submitted my resignation letter to Douglas High School, about a month after the school board announced its plans to open the high school in a hybrid model, ultimately exposing all teachers and staff to COVID-19. I pleaded a case with our School Board against opening Douglas High School, citing Douglas County’s recent spike in COVID-19 cases, which meant we no longer met the 10 cases/100,000 population requirement to open. That did not deter our school board and administration from continuing with their plans to bring students back to in-person learning. Ultimately, I weighed my options and the impact on my family if I went back to Douglas High School, knowing that the board and administration did not have my best interest in mind. I felt that they had misrepresented information to ODE and Governor Brown to be granted an exception that they did not meet. I was sick, physically, and emotionally, from the interactions with school board members where they berated teachers, threatened budget cuts and job loss for teachers that tried to stop in-person learning. Rather than attempt to pursue leave options, I chose to resign and to walk away from the school district that had meant so much to me as a student, teacher, and community member of Winston-Dillard for most of my life.
Editor's Update: On Oct. 19, Douglas High School announced a student had tested positive for COVID-19. Multiple teachers called in sick, leaving the school no other option but to close its doors the next day. The following is a letter Parazoo prepared for her former principal and superintendent, announcing her decision to leave her position.
