PR for People® The Connector is published monthly by Xanthus Communications LLC, 2212 Queen Anne Avenue North, PMB #615, Seattle, WA 98109. Please send any address changes to [email protected].
Copyright ©2020 by Xanthus Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Written content and original photos in this publication must not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be sent to Patricia Vaccarino [email protected].
Across America our teachers are being forced to be on the front lines of the pandemic. Rachel Baucom is a first-grade public school teacher in Albuquerque New Mexico. Rachel is very concerned about returning to the classroom and being able to ensure safety, for her kids, their families, and for herself and her family—the entire community. She is a woman who takes her vocation to heart and is going above and beyond the call of duty to keep her students and families safe.
I immersed myself in research to understand what it means to reopen the schools during the pandemic. Bottom line: The Trump administration ordered the schools to reopen so parents would return to work, thereby rebooting the economy. To make schools comply, Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos threatened to cut funding if schools did not reopen.
Teachers don’t make much money as it is and many schools are operating with skeleton staffs and tight budgets. Schools are being forced to buy new programs for virtual instruction, making sure all of the kids have tablets at home, and have someone showing them how to use them. Then there are all of the materials needed to ensure safety, from Plexiglas barriers to gallon jugs of hand sanitizer, larger classroom space, and the installation of air ducts and HVAC to provide adequate ventilation. With all of the changes needed to make safer environments for teachers, children and their families, the money isn’t forthcoming from the federal government. The financial burden has been placed squarely on state and local governments that are already strapped for cash.
No federal funds are being provided to help schools open safely.
Our mission is to share the stories of the real heroes in our culture.
The people who have the courage to do things so amazing that they also inspire us to do good work in the world. Rachel Baucom is woman of courage and an authentic voice of the pandemic. This month we also profiled an unusual library, the Ernie Pyle Library in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ernie Pyle was a Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist who covered stories about soldiers during World War II. Ernie Pyle is legendary for putting a human face on the grit and raw honesty of the young men who served our country. In the same manner that Rachel Baucom is a voice for teachers, Ernie Pyle was the voice of the American Soldier during World War II.
Remember to have courage. Take care and stay safe!
PR FOR PEOPLE®
THE
CONNECTOR
Editorial Staff
Chief Content Creator:
Patricia Vaccarino
Published by PR for People®
Brand Manager:
Josue Mora
Copy Editor:
Lars Brockner
Chief Photographer:
Ilya Moshenskiy
Design and Layout:
Josue Mora
Photo Credits:
William Lulow, Josue Mora, Ilya Moshenskiy,
Patricia Vaccarino,
and a special thanks to
Rachel Baucom.
Contributors:
Lynn Berger, Gregg Bertram, Dave Bresler,
Peter Corning Ph.D, Rongqing Dai Ph.D,
Bernadette Erasmus,
John de Graaf, JoAnne Dyer, Anna Faktorovich, Ph.D.,
Ron Flavin, Michael Fliegelman, Randy Friedberg, Esq.,
Manny Frishberg,
Linda Jay Geldens ,
Henri P. Gaboriau, MD,
Sally Haver, Alison Harris,
Roger Hillman, Lorraine Howell, David L. Laing, Linda Jay,
Nick J. Licata, William Lulow, Dean Landsman,
Barbara Lloyd McMichael,
Joe Puggelli, Oliver Roth,
Jerry Sander, Annie Searle,
Steve Sears, Hall Stuart-Lovell, Jordan Riefe, William Thomas, Patricia Vaccarino, and
Serena Wadhwa.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Friends & Colleagues: