[g1313]

I'd like to better understand your point of view. To me, every job has some amount of "economic coercion" in the form of getting paid. I certainly agree that no one should be forced at gunpoint to teach, and I also think that as a society we should value teachers more and they should be compensated for the risks they are taking, and we should be figuring out how to reduce the risk as low as we can. But I don't see how it would be any less ethical than other jobs where we are asking people to take risks - medical professionals and food processors during the pandemic, or even in normal times loggers, fishers, roofers, etc. 

I'm not sure how our society can ethically compel teachers to risk their lives through no fault of their own.  If a teacher were to volunteer despite the risk, that would be much better.  But most teachers would choose to avoid this risk.

Essential employees are facing this risk as well, and it's a similarly ethically wrong decision for society to coerce them economically between the ability to feed themselves and the choice to avoid exposure to the virus.

(And if they get exposed, they and the whole class are probably out for two weeks.  And if the teacher falls ill, that's 2-8 weeks out.  Good luck finding substitute teachers in this day and age for that kind of pay and risk.  And what happens if a lot of teachers retire suddenly?)

[g1313]

I'd like to better understand your point of view. To me, every job has some amount of "economic coercion" in the form of getting paid. I certainly agree that no one should be forced at gunpoint to teach, and I also think that as a society we should value teachers more and they should be compensated for the risks they are taking, and we should be figuring out how to reduce the risk as low as we can. But I don't see how it would be any less ethical than other jobs where we are asking people to take risks - medical professionals and food processors during the pandemic, or even in normal times loggers, fishers, roofers, etc. 

I'm not sure how our society can ethically compel teachers to risk their lives through no fault of their own.  If a teacher were to volunteer despite the risk, that would be much better.  But most teachers would choose to avoid this risk.

Essential employees are facing this risk as well, and it's a similarly ethically wrong decision for society to coerce them economically between the ability to feed themselves and the choice to avoid exposure to the virus.

(And if they get exposed, they and the whole class are probably out for two weeks.  And if the teacher falls ill, that's 2-8 weeks out.  Good luck finding substitute teachers in this day and age for that kind of pay and risk.  And what happens if a lot of teachers retire suddenly?)