Sacrificial students

Developmentally, educationally and emotionally, in-person education is best. But what is best in the midst of a pandemic that has been mismanaged by our governor and president?

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and President Donald Trump have declared that five-day, in-person education is what needs to and will be done.

Instead of doing what is best for kids, their thinking appears to have more to do with getting kids out of the house so parents can return to work and the economy can grow, so Trump and his enablers will have something to brag about in the election instead of being forced to respond to questions about his failure to lead during the pandemic and his inability to address concerns about social justice.

I work at a private school, and it appears my school has the resources and space to implement all the CDC recommendations while having five-day, inperson schooling.

But what about public schools, where budgets are limited, classrooms often house 30 students or more, teachers will be in high-risk environments instructing 150 or more students a day, and students from lowincome families do not have access to laptops, Wi-Fi or adequate health care? What economic assistance are the state and federal governments providing to public schools to help them implement costly five-day, in-person and online programs?

The plan appears, largely, to ignore CDC guidelines for the safe reopening of schools. Well, I guess we have already sacrificed the elderly, people of color and those who are incarcerated with careless state and federal leadership during this pandemic, so what’s a few more? been the unrecognized path of destruction that unprecedented restrictions have caused.

The economic impact on business closures is reflected in Depression-era unemployment. School-age children have suffered devastating psychological, sociological and educational consequences not offset by the increase in parent-child interfacing and gratefulness for what we had — freedom of association. College students have lost time, money and newfound friendships from a semester aborted after spring break. If your major is chemistry or physics, online learning is not an option.

As a physician, I understand the fear stoked by the media, bureaucrats and politicians who have assumed a role that is not theirs. They cannot protect us from illness. With an added understanding of the virus and capabilities to handle the small percentage of those with serious COVID-19 illness, continuing to restrict healthy individuals is psychologically, economically and sociologically destructive. and, most importantly, unnecessary.