FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — It's a virtual showdown between Winston-Salem Forsyth County teachers.
It started when high school teacher Tripp Jeffers and others created a YouTube video a couple days ago called 'Rise to the Occasion.'
The video showcases several educators turning their backs to the camera.
The reasoning? Jeffers said The Board of Education turned its back on the metrics by allowing some students to return to in-person learning while the county is in the highest risk category for exposure to COVID-19.
"Stick with the metrics, safety first," some state throughout the video.
Other district teachers made a counter video in response, titled 'We Won't Turn Our Backs.'
The short video states:
No matter the decision: we wont turn our backs.
Not on our students.
Not on our families.
Not on our administrators.
Not on our escuela.
Not on our Board of Education, and not on education.
The video's creators, Lindsey Hayes and Lindsay Voss are also district teachers.
They did the exact opposite of the first video by turning frontward and facing the camera.
"We intentionally started with our backs turned and wanted to turn around and kind of give them impression that we are open and we are ready," Lindsey Hayes said.
The two felt like they had to do something.
"I didn't agree with the message {the Rise to the Occasion video} portrayed for all of teachers," Lindsay Voss stated.
"We just wanted to send the message after seeing that, that we were there and there were teachers that weren't going to turn their back on anybody: not families, students, or the school board," Hayes added.
The Board of Education voted for a pause to the reentry process on Tuesday night.
"We just want to make it very clear that we are here to do our jobs whether that means continuing to teach remotely or bringing kids back in the classroom, open arms with a smile on our faces we're going to take care of these babies."