As parents and teachers prepare for the upcoming school year, anxiety is at an all-time high as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
A survey conducted by OnePoll for Office Depot that surveyed 2,000 people — 1,000 of whom are K-12 teachers while the other half are parents who have children in school — found that both groups are worried going into the academic year as COVID-19 cases surge across the U.S.
Half of the parents cite their most prominent concern is that their child will catch the virus at school, while 40% of those are worried about the cleaning and safety measures in school buildings.
More than half of the teachers who responded say their biggest concern is that students have fallen behind academically due to the pandemic. They rank inclusivity and student confidence in the classroom as their highest priorities this year, with 80% of them citing cleaning protocols as important.
But both parents and teachers have a common goal of supporting their students, with 60% of parents saying that the conversations with their children about returning to school are positive, and most teachers preparing to help their students adapt to an in-person setting after a year of virtual learning.