Midcoast teachers prepared for in-person learning despite worries for their health
MIDCOAST — Teachers in the Midcoast counties of Knox, Waldo and Lincoln are likely to return to campus this fall, if their school district allows for in-person learning, despite area teachers being concerned for their health, and the health of their students, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey of educators conducted by the Maine Department of Education in July.
With health professionals stressing daily the importance of social distancing, the majority of Midcoast teachers either doubt or are uncertain if their school has the capacity to reduce classroom size and/or increase use of space to allow for adequate social distancing in the classroom this fall.
While at least 40 percent of teachers in each of the three counties agreed their school had established, at the time of the survey, healthy hygiene practices for in-person instruction such as hand washing and disinfecting classroom surfaces, nearly 40 percent of teachers were uncertain if those protocols were established.
At least half of the teachers surveyed in each of the three Midcoast counties were unsure if their school had safety precautions for instruction, such as occupational therapy and physical management, involving physical contact.
Teachers in the area overwhelmingly doubt students will adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines such as wearing face masks, social distancing, avoiding physical contact with peers, and avoiding congregating in groups.
More than half of the area’s teachers noted in the survey they were unable to maintain strong relationships with their students during the spring’s remote instruction period that began in March and lasted until the end of the school year.
There were 344 educators in Knox County that responded to the survey, 286 in Waldo County and 269 in Lincoln County. Across the state, more than 9,700 educators responded to the DOE’s survey.
Below are the full results, as reported by the Maine Department of Education, for the educator survey for Knox, Waldo and Lincoln Counties.
If my district is open for in-person instruction in the fall, I am likely to return to school.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 44% | 46% | 45% |
| Agree | 37% | 36% | 35% |
| Disagree | 2% | 6% | 3% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 3% | 6% |
| I Don’t Know | 12% | 9% | 11% |
I understand (know where to go to obtain more information on) the recommended health and safety guidance.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 41% | 44% | 42% |
| Agree | 48% | 45% | 48% |
| Disagree | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Strongly Disagree | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| I Don’t Know | 4% | 5% | 3% |
I am concerned about my own health and safety if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 37% | 43% | 35% |
| Agree | 39% | 33% | 36% |
| Disagree | 16% | 13% | 16% |
| Strongly Disagree | 7% | 10% | 10% |
| I Don’t Know | 1% | 1% | 2% |
I am concerned about my students’ health and safety if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 39% | 49% | 41% |
| Agree | 42% | 31% | 40% |
| Disagree | 13% | 12% | 13% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| I Don’t Know | 1% | 2% | 1% |
My school has the capacity to reduce classroom size and/or increase use of space to allow for adequate social distancing if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 6% | 6% | 9% |
| Agree | 18% | 24% | 20% |
| Disagree | 25% | 27% | 21% |
| Strongly Disagree | 22% | 20% | 22% |
| I Don’t Know | 30% | 23% | 28% |
My school has set healthy hygiene practices for typical classroom instruction, such as hand washing if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 15% | 17% | 15% |
| Agree | 32% | 30% | 26% |
| Disagree | 12% | 13% | 13% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 3% | 9% |
| I Don’t Know | 36% | 36% | 36% |
My school has set healthy hygiene practices for typical classroom instruction, such as cleaning and disinfecting classroom surfaces if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| Agree | 31% | 29% | 29% |
| Disagree | 13% | 13% | 14% |
| Strongly Disagree | 6% | 4% | 9% |
| I Don’t Know | 39% | 39% | 34% |
My school has safety precautions for instruction that involve physical contact (i.e., occupational therapy, physical management) if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 6% | 9% | 8% |
| Agree | 20% | 15% | 17% |
| Disagree | 13% | 16% | 14% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 4% | 10% |
| I Don’t Know | 55% | 56% | 50% |
My school has a plan for informing staff about healthy and safety protocols and expectations if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 17% | 19% | 14% |
| Agree | 33% | 38% | 33% |
| Disagree | 10% | 7% | 12% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 4% | 7% |
| I Don’t Know | 35% | 33% | 33% |
My school has a plan for informing families about health and safety protocols and expectations if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 16% | 20% | 13% |
| Agree | 33% | 38% | 30% |
| Disagree | 11% | 7% | 11% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 3% | 9% |
| I Don’t Know | 35% | 31% | 36% |
Students will be able to maintain new restrictions such as wearing face masks if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 3% | 2% | 6% |
| Agree | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Disagree | 28% | 28% | 33% |
| Strongly Disagree | 29% | 26% | 22% |
| I Don’t Know | 20% | 24% | 23% |
Students will be able to maintain new restrictions such as social distancing if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 3% | 2% | 6% |
| Agree | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| Disagree | 35% | 31% | 28% |
| Strongly Disagree | 28% | 29% | 30% |
| I Don’t Know | 20% | 23% | 24% |
Students will be able to maintain new restrictions such as avoiding physical contact with peers if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 2% | 1% | 5% |
| Agree | 12% | 15% | 11% |
| Disagree | 38% | 34% | 30% |
| Strongly Disagree | 29% | 29% | 31% |
| I Don’t Know | 19% | 20% | 23% |
Students will be able to maintain new restrictions such as avoiding congregating in groups if in-person instruction resumes in the fall.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 3% | 2% | 6% |
| Agree | 15% | 18% | 14% |
| Disagree | 35% | 33% | 30% |
| Strongly Disagree | 28% | 26% | 26% |
| I Don’t Know | 19% | 21% | 23% |
My district has policies for communicating with students, including frequency and methods (ie phone call, video, email, or chat) during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 16% | 15% | 11% |
| Agree | 45% | 52% | 49% |
| Disagree | 21% | 16% | 18% |
| Strongly Disagree | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| I Don’t Know | 12% | 11% | 16% |
I am satisfied with the level of communication between most of my students and me.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Agree | 50% | 47% | 41% |
| Disagree | 24% | 31% | 32% |
| Strongly Disagree | 6% | 6% | 8% |
| I Don’t Know | 7% | 3% | 5% |
I am able to maintain strong relationships with most students during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 8% | 9% | 10% |
| Agree | 34% | 36% | 35% |
| Disagree | 40% | 41% | 38% |
| Strongly Disagree | 12% | 12% | 13% |
| I Don’t Know | 6% | 2% | 5% |
I am able to maintain strong relationships with most parents in my school during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 7% | 9% | 13% |
| Agree | 35% | 35% | 36% |
| Disagree | 36% | 41% | 35% |
| Strongly Disagree | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| I Don’t Know | 12% | 5% | 8% |
I am able to effectively engage most parents/guardians during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 9% | 8% | 9% |
| Agree | 32% | 37% | 34% |
| Disagree | 36% | 37% | 32% |
| Strongly Disagree | 13% | 13% | 15% |
| I Don’t Know | 10% | 5% | 9% |
School district resource availability for students and families: Staff trained in trauma-informed care.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 14% | 17% | 22% |
| Agree | 25% | 20% | 24% |
| Disagree | 29% | 30% | 24$ |
| Strongly Disagree | 11% | 11% | 10% |
| I Don’t Know | 21% | 22% | 20% |
School district resource availability for students and families: Staff trained in supporting students with disabilities.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 32% | 31% | 38% |
| Agree | 36% | 33% | 31% |
| Disagree | 23% | 26% | 21% |
| Strongly Disagree | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| I Don’t Know | 5% | 7% | 6% |
School district resource availability for students and families: Staff trained in supporting English learners.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 17% | 17% | 21% |
| Agree | 14% | 16% | 12% |
| Disagree | 23% | 19% | 20% |
| Strongly Disagree | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| I Don’t Know | 29% | 34% | 35% |
School district resource availability for students and families: Staff trained in social-emotional supports.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 20% | 17% | 24% |
| Agree | 33% | 28% | 28% |
| Disagree | 32% | 31% | 34% |
| Strongly Disagree | 8% | 13% | 7% |
| I Don’t Know | 7% | 12% | 7% |
School district resource availability for students and families: Staff trained in safety and well-being to monitor the status of students and families.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 17% | 16% | 20% |
| Agree | 25% | 23% | 23% |
| Disagree | 31% | 31% | 27% |
| Strongly Disagree | 11% | 15% | 10% |
| I Don’t Know | 16% | 15% | 21% |
School district resource availability for students and families: School staff who work directly with community-based healthcare providers to support students.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 14% | 11% | 21% |
| Agree | 16% | 19% | 20% |
| Disagree | 22% | 26% | 17% |
| Strongly Disagree | 9% | 11% | 7% |
| I Don’t Know | 39% | 34% | 35% |
School district resource availability for students and families: School staff who refer students to healthcare programs in the community.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 20% | 16% | 25% |
| Agree | 20% | 22% | 18% |
| Disagree | 21% | 26% | 21% |
| Strongly Disagree | 8% | 7% | 8% |
| I Don’t Know | 30% | 29% | 28% |
School district resource availability for students and families: School staff who help families navigate their health insurance options.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 6% | 4% | 6% |
| Agree | 5% | 7% | 7% |
| Disagree | 13% | 14% | 10% |
| Strongly Disagree | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| I Don’t Know | 59% | 56% | 58% |
School district resource availability for students and families: School counselors or similar school staff who provide mental health counseling sessions with students.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 27% | 23% | 29% |
| Agree | 30% | 32% | 28% |
| Disagree | 32% | 31% | 32% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5% | 5% | 3% |
| I Don’t Know | 7% | 9% | 8% |
School district resource availability for students and families: A school nurse who provides healthcare appointments or virtual nursing hours for students.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 24% | 23% | 23% |
| Agree | 13% | 22% | 15% |
| Disagree | 12% | 16% | 11% |
| Strongly Disagree | 14% | 10% | 15% |
| I Don’t Know | 37% | 29% | 36% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being aware of students’ needs.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Agree | 39% | 41% | 43% |
| Disagree | 43% | 39% | 30% |
| Strongly Disagree | 14% | 16% | 13% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to support students and families who have immigrant/refugee status or language needs.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Agree | 36% | 48% | 46% |
| Disagree | 13% | 14% | 12% |
| Strongly Disagree | 12% | 6% | 8% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to provide student mental health supports.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 11% | 9% | 11% |
| Agree | 42% | 46% | 45% |
| Disagree | 33% | 32% | 33% |
| Strongly Disagree | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to differentiate mental health supports based on student needs and grade levels.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 14% | 10% | 13% |
| Agree | 43% | 43% | 46% |
| Disagree | 31% | 36% | 29% |
| Strongly Disagree | 13% | 11% | 12% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to connect with students and families.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 4% | 5% | 3% |
| Agree | 51% | 48% | 52% |
| Disagree | 34% | 39% | 35% |
| Strongly Disagree | 11% | 8% | 10% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to connect students with support staff at the school level.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Agree | 49% | 52% | 51% |
| Disagree | 25% | 23% | 27% |
| Strongly Disagree | 10% | 8% | 6% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to connect students with support staff at the district level.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 14% | 12% | 11% |
| Agree | 43% | 51% | 49% |
| Disagree | 31% | 28% | 31% |
| Strongly Disagree | 12% | 9% | 9% |
Primary challenges related to COVID-19 school closures: Being able to access needed supports for higher need students/families.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 8% | 7% | 10% |
| Agree | 51% | 55% | 49% |
| Disagree | 29% | 30% | 31% |
| Strongly Disagree | 12% | 8% | 11% |
My district has policies regarding student-level accountability (e.g., testing, grading, report cards, and grade promotion) during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Agree | 25% | 34% | 26% |
| Disagree | 34% | 32% | 29% |
| Strongly Disagree | 14% | 13% | 16% |
| I Don’t Know | 22% | 15% | 23% |
My district has policies or plans to address students not attending or not participating in class during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 6% | 4% | 2% |
| Agree | 17% | 19% | 19% |
| Disagree | 29% | 35% | 26% |
| Strongly Disagree | 18% | 16% | 18% |
| I Don’t Know | 31% | 26% | 35% |
My school’s remote instruction expectations were manageable and realistic.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 11% | 12% | 11% |
| Agree | 44% | 49% | 44% |
| Disagree | 20% | 22% | 16% |
| Strongly Disagree | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| I Don’t Know | 19% | 12% | 21% |
It was possible for families to support their child’s learning at home during remote instruction.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Agree | 22% | 19% | 16% |
| Disagree | 46% | 49% | 57% |
| Strongly Disagree | 15% | 20% | 17% |
| I Don’t Know | 15% | 9% | 7% |
I was satisfied with the level of communication between teacher and parents.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Agree | 49% | 45% | 47% |
| Disagree | 26% | 34% | 27% |
| Strongly Disagree | 4% | 5% | 6% |
| I Don’t Know | 7% | 3% | 7% |
I understand what my district’s policies regarding promotion and retention mean for my child.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Agree | 32% | 43$ | 40% |
| Disagree | 24% | 20% | 20% |
| Strongly Disagree | 9% | 10% | 8% |
| I Don’t Know | 29% | 19% | 27% |
I understand what my district’s policies regarding grading and report cards mean for my child.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 7% | 8% | 6% |
| Agree | 31% | 38% | 36% |
| Disagree | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Strongly Disagree | 11% | 11% | 9% |
| I Don’t Know | 26% | 20% | 26% |
I understand what my district’s policies regarding attendance mean for my child.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Agree | 25% | 27% | 29% |
| Disagree | 29% | 31% | 24% |
| Strongly Disagree | 13% | 14% | 14% |
| I Don’t Know | 28% | 24% | 28% |
I understand what my district’s policies regarding assessments mean for my child.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| Agree | 26% | 28% | 27% |
| Disagree | 28% | 26% | 26% |
| Strongly Disagree | 13% | 14% | 13% |
| I Don’t Know | 28% | 24% | 29% |
Communication from my school leadership has been clear during the remote instruction period.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 17% | 17% | 19% |
| Agree | 52% | 48% | 47% |
| Disagree | 22% | 35% | 22% |
| Strongly Disagree | 7% | 7% | 9% |
| I Don’t Know | 1% | 2% | 3% |
Communication from my district leadership has been clear during the remote instruction period.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 16% | 16% | 10% |
| Agree | 48% | 53% | 40% |
| Disagree | 22% | 23% | 34% |
| Strongly Disagree | 10% | 7% | 11% |
| I Don’t Know | 4% | 2% | 6% |
Adequate translation and/or interpretation was provided for important district-, school, and classroom- level communications.
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Strongly Agree | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Agree | 9% | 14% | 12% |
| Disagree | 15% | 16% | 12% |
| Strongly Disagree | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| I Don’t Know | 58% | 54% | 60% |
Who helps students access assistance with housing while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| District staff | 8% | 8% | 10% |
| I don’t know | 62% | 61% | 51% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Other school staff | 11% | 8% | 16% |
| Service unavailable | 8% | 10% | 9% |
Who helps students access assistance with legal matters (i.e, court issues) while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| District staff | 4% | 5% | 6% |
| I don’t know | 70% | 69% | 64% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 9% | 9% | 11% |
| Other school staff | 8% | 6% | 8% |
| Service unavailable | 7% | 9% | 9% |
Who helps students access assistance with obtaining food (e.g., food pantry) while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| District staff | 28% | 34% | 23% |
| I don’t know | 16% | 8% | 10% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 12% | 12% | 16% |
| Other school staff | 31% | 30% | 35% |
| Service unavailable | 2% | 1% | 1% |
Who helps students access English Learner supports while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 17% | 15% | 19% |
| District staff | 11% | 15% | 12% |
| I don’t know | 43% | 41% | 41% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 4% | 6% | 3% |
| Other school staff | 20% | 20% | 21% |
| Service unavailable | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Who helps students access healthcare appointments, telehealth or virtual nursing while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| District staff | 4% | 6% | 7% |
| I don’t know | 66% | 62% | 53% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Other school staff | 11% | 10% | 12% |
| Service unavailable | 7% | 8% | 10% |
Who helps students access mental health counseling while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 11% | 12% | 16% |
| District staff | 15% | 16% | 15% |
| I don’t know | 23% | 18% | 16% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 13% | 18% | 15% |
| Other school staff | 34% | 32% | 37% |
| Service unavailable | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Who helps students access social-emotional supports outside of counseling while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 24% | 22% | 26% |
| District staff | 13% | 14% | 13% |
| I don’t know | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 9% | 14% | 9% |
| Other school staff | 30% | 28% | 33% |
| Service unavailable | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Who helps students access special education supports while school buildings are closed due to COVID-19?
| Knox County | Waldo County | Lincoln County | |
| Classroom teachers | 34% | 33% | 37% |
| District staff | 14% | 17% | 12% |
| I don’t know | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| Individuals outside school/district | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Other school staff | 36% | 36% | 38% |
| Service unavailable | 3% | 1% | 2% |
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