ATLANTA — Dozens of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) teachers held a socially-distant protest on Saturday in response to the system's decision to return to in-person learning on Jan. 25.
APS is just the latest to make the move as many school systems across the state struggle with the decision of remaining virtual, returning to class - or some combination of the two.
For APS students, this will be the first time they have been back in the classroom since last spring when COVID-19 first began to see a significant rise in the state. The district said there will be temperature checks and a mask mandate in place.
"We are responsible for the physical, academic, social, and emotional wellbeing of our students and, during this time of COVID, we have to put the physical first," Lisa Morgan with the Georgia Association of Educators said.
11Alive's Coronavirus Data Team has been tracking the case trends in Fulton County. When we looked at school-aged children between five and 17, the case rate has gone up 671 percent since the start o the fall semester. In adults, we've seen a 658 percent increase.
Cobb County also decided to go virtual next week after a spike in cases there. The case rate in school-aged kids in Cobb has gone up a whopping 1,100 percent since fall. And in adults, the rate is up more than 560 percent.