SCHOOL REOPENING BEING POLITICIZED,
What if they opened schools and no children or teachers showed up for class?
The debate over in-person education has turned into a hot potato. This should come as no surprise, though, because the pandemic has infected our thoughts with fear and made us doubt our leaders — rightly so too. Our response to COVID-19 has been embarrassingly pathetic and shamefully inconsistent. Expect the same behavior when it comes to planning for schools reopening.
A few days ago, President Trump, suddenly concerned with our children’s education, vowed to pressure governors to reopen brick-and-mortar classrooms for the fall. My home state of Florida beat him to the punch, issuing an emergency order requiring our chapels of learning to start full-time in August, this in spite of a surge in coronavirus cases. Later, on a call with governors, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos attacked school district plans for online classes.
Pushback followed.
Like mask wearing, the clang of the school bell has now become politicized. Nobody talks about state standards, testing initiatives or the necessity to push STEM in the early grades anymore. (You know, the usual discussion about making our children smarter and more globally competitive.) The talk these days is about if — and how — we can navigate the start of school when the U.S. is losing its war against the pandemic. Figuring that out is stressful enough, but add accusations and misinformation and the result is sludge and quicksand.
Though Trump claimed his “pressure” to reopen wasn’t politically motivated, he immediately took to Twitter to claim that Joe Biden didn’t want to do so because of — wait for this — political reasons. He then threatened to withhold federal funds from disobedient districts, something he can’t do anyway.
If my extended family is any indication, the choice between virtual and brickand-mortar education is far from clear cut. Nor does it fall along party lines. Preferences have more to do with the age of the children and the job situation of the parents. For many, choice is an illusion. If you’re expected back in the office or the factory floor, your kids need to return to the classroom. It doesn’t mean, however, that parents feel any better about the decision.
Fact is, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends schools prioritize in-person classes, pointing to the academic and social cost of keeping kids exclusively online. The reasoning is sound: Kids don’t contract the virus as easily nor get as sick as adults. They don’t pass it along to grownups as readily as researchers once thought, either. (Apparently teachers are expendable.)
In the end, regardless of the Trump threat and AAP recommendation, the administration of schools is a local matter. A one-sizefits-all policy doesn’t work, especially if a community has become a hotspot of infection. In Miami-Dade County — where half of my grandchildren and many grand-nephews and nieces live — schools will not reopen unless we move past the phase one reopening stage. Whether that will happen by Aug. 24 is anyone’s guess. A survey of parents showed that about 60% preferred the inschool model, while about 30% went for the online model
In Cobb County, Georgia, where the other half of my grandchildren reside, parents are currently voting whether to send kids to campus or to go totally virtual. The opening date has moved back two weeks, to Aug. 17.
I don’t envy today’s beleaguered parents. Back when I didn’t know how good I had it, I used to anticipate the return of school routine. The arrival of a new academic year felt like a blessing. Now the specter of yellow buses, decorated bulletin boards and book-filled backpacks has become nerve-wracking, one more murky situation that causes hand-wringing and second-guessing.
Parents are scared. But they’re also desperate and at their wits’ end. Can we blame them? Everything we do these days feels fraught with danger.
Sadly, try as I might to be optimistic, I still foresee a fall schedule of surging COVID-19 cases, absent teachers, abrupt classroom closings — and children learning what can be taught only in the school of hard knocks.
Ana Veciana-Suarez writes about family and social issues. Email her at avecianasuarez@gmail.com or visit her website anavecianasuarez.com. Follow @AnaVeciana.