Gwinnett teachers honk horns for hours in protest about return to school

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Teachers in the state's largest school district are taking their concerns right to the top.

Hundreds of teachers parked outside Gwinnett County School's headquarters and blasted their horns in protest of putting teachers and students back into school buildings.

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Gwinnett County students are set to start the year virtually next week, but teachers are required to work from their classrooms. The district announced plans Tuesday to phase students back in on August 26, starting with kindergarten, 1st, 6th and 9th grades.

New numbers show that Gwinnett County has reported close to 4,200 cases of coronavirus in the last two weeks. Those cases account for 22.6% of the total cases since the pandemic began.

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was in Gwinnett County, where teachers sent a powerful --and loud -- message to district officials Wednesday. Emotions ran high as teachers told Washington they are not just fed up, they are scared for their health. Some teachers cried.

"It's very concerning all across the board," teacher Aireane Montgomery said. "At this point, we would like the district to go 100% digital."

Teachers held up signs and honked continuously for hours. They said they hope district officials heard their horns and heard their message.

The school district issued a new response Wednesday night, saying “We are committed to doing what we believe is best for students in terms of their health, safety and education. After all, that is our core business.”

Gwinnett County Schools announces plan to allow students back into classroom in phases The school district will return to school on Aug. 12 with all students receiving digital instruction.

Cox Media Group