Enough is enough: Get our children back to school now

Education is a fundamental right for all children in the United States; however, the majority of students in our country are being denied this right every day. Education is not supposed to be based on politics, yet 252 days after the initial shutdown of most schools on March 13, it appears that the education of our children is, in fact, based on politics.

Governor Wolf shut down the schools for the remainder of last school year and then set up what appeared to be an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course for School Districts to jump through in order to open schools for the Fall. Every District in the state worked diligently on a Safety Plan with a myriad of options for parents, and then every week, new rules were published by the Department of Education or the Department of Health.

By the end of the summer, most Districts were too overwhelmed to even try to open. In some counties, the local health department guidance is more stringent than the state and created further barriers to opening schools.

Fast forward to the week before Thanksgiving and there is even more conflicting information. Opinion pieces are rampant with all the reasons that children need to go back to school. The achievement gap between middle and upperincome students and lowincome students is widening at a significant rate.

Wealthy school districts are able to provide internet access and devices for every child, while poor and particularly city school districts are struggling to provide one device per household.

The CDC initially called for schools to open as transmission rates were low among children and in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics supported the need for schools to open as the unintended consequences far outweighed the risk of the virus. The World Health Organization has been very clear about the need for children to be in school. Our children are suffering from social isolation and lack of engagement, while substance abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse are on the rise.

This week we have seen the greatest flip-flop on positions. Governor Wolf in concert with surrounding Governors, announced, “In-person learning is the best possible scenario for children, especially those with special needs and from low-income families.” Yet, the guidance from the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education do not support that statement. This week, the CDC pulled documents off their website that focused on the importance of opening schools and seems to be back tracking on their initial statements. However, CDC Director, Redfield, stated in a press conference yesterday, that one of the safest places that children can be is back in school.

There is no rational explanation for these constantly changing statements and positions, so it appears that there are political motivations. Our children are being held hostage by our irresponsible elected officials and a group of bureaucrats who do not seem to understand the damage that is being inflicted on our children. March 2021 will be here quickly, and the one-year mark of the school shutdowns will be upon us.

The response to this virus may be the greatest public health fail of our country’s history. We have sacrificed all other aspects of health - emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual – to address the single issue of physical health. Public health professionals have an ethical responsibility to address all aspects of health and not fall prey to the political motivations of politicians and bureaucrats.

The time has long passed to get our children back in the classroom. For those families who want their children in school 5 full days, they not only deserve that option; they are entitled to a free, appropriate education under the law.

It is time to stand up for what is right and what is owed to our children. Enough is enough. Get our kids back in school now.