Viruses really never go away completely, but the current preventable surge in COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths is not what we’d planned as we all hoped to get back to a new normal last spring/summer. This has definitely taken a toll on health care workers and all front line workers, including educators. While OKCPS remains laser focused on doing what’s necessary to keep kids in school buildings, the pressures that go with that are immense.

A ban on mask mandates in schools has been temporarily blocked, though OKCPS leadership (outside of the school board) made the appropriate call early on to require masks. That, plus social distancing, cleaning protocols and a no visitor rule have kept COVID numbers relatively small among students and staff, but the anxiety about what could happen with an outbreak is never far away. Keeping everyone safe, while focusing on academic progress, learning loss recovery and the social/emotional challenges many of our students face is no easy feat, yet our educators show up every day to do their very best.

Many in the community ask about ways to help since no volunteers are able to go into school buildings. There are a number of ways to offer help, motivation and thanks to our educators and their appreciation would be heart-felt and sincere. Here are two programs administered by Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation:

Support an OKCPS teacher’s project on DonorsChoose. This is a very simple way to show your thanks and offer support by going to www.donorschoose.org. Teachers post projects for needed/innovative items for their classrooms and citizen donors (along with Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation’s help, as well as other entities) make it happen. DonorsChoose does the project vetting and purchasing, but teachers see everyone who donates online and can feel the love through their support.

Support an OKCPS principal’s project on Partners in Action by going here. Partners in Action is where school principals go to share their school-wide needs and is an easy way to say thank you and support a school.

These are two ways among many that are highlighted at www.okckids.com. We work to provide innovative support to teachers, classrooms and schools. We can only be successful with the help of our community and it is in all of our best interest to help our educators now, in what are some of the most challenging times they’ve faced.