The president of the organization that represents teachers in North Dakota said he believes Gov. Burgum and state school superintendent Kirsten Baesler did the right thing by closing schools for five days – in response to the coronavirus.
"It was encouraging to see that the Governor and his team, and Superintendent Baesler put the health and safety of the students and teachers first," said NDU president Nick Archuleta. "I think our teachers are by and large very appreciative of that."
Archuleta said he expects teachers will have a seat at the table, when it comes to the emergency teams the schools will convene on how to reopen the schools.
"The teachers I have spoken with would like to make sure that when we do reconvene, that every effort is made to make sure kids are safe, and that the schools are as clean as possible, and that the danger of passing the COVID 19 virus is mitigated as much as possible," Archuleta said.
Burgum mentioned the possibility of taking students’ temperatures as they return to class. Archuleta said he believes that’s something everyone can get behind.
"Frankly, if we have folks getting their temperature taken, that's an early indicator that they may have something," Archuleta said. "They may have to be quarantined or something at home. I don't think that's much of an inconvenience -- it's a prudent step."
So far, the virus seems to be targeting older people, and those with underlying medical issues. Archuleta said there’s still a lot unknown about the virus, and it’s better to be on the safe side.
