Back to school planning has no easy answers
Among the pressing issues of the coronavirus pandemic which has disrupted for the past five months life as we knew it, the return to school this fall is foremost for area families, school staffs and decision-makers.
Every public and private school in the region is grappling with the details of plans to balance health risk and learning.
Guidance has been issued by the state Department of Health as well as county health departments, all of which emphasize planning and communication so that parents, children and teachers feel safe and are able to resume learning, a tall task when all factors are considered.
In March when schools closed by order of Gov. Tom Wolf, districts pivoted to online learning, a transition that came easier in some places than others. Wealthier districts were able to provide Chromebooks or laptops to all students, many of whom already had their own. In poorer districts, neither the schools nor the families could afford devices for everyone. Poor and rural districts were also more likely to be areas of inadequate internet access, giving new meaning to “education by zip code.”
Those issues persist as schools weigh in-person classes versus online learning this fall. For students in low-income families and among many who struggle to achieve, online learning puts them further behind in the already widening education gap.
Parents must deal with the impact on their work lives. Kids need supervision as long as they’re at home, making it impossible for people to return to jobs outside the home with school buildings closed.
The flip side of online learning – returning to classrooms – comes with health risk to students, teachers and staff.
“Everybody really wants to get back to the classroom, but the key issue is how do we do it safely for everyone?” said Chris Lilienthal, assistant director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Education Association in an interview.
Lilienthal said PSEA officials have been working with other education associations for the past month to help create a road map for what’s needed to safely reopen schools. Their recommendations include things like staggering schedules, enhanced cleaning procedures, providing sufficient personal protective equipment and changing meal preparation procedures.
The guidance offered to schools by health officials emphasizes that not every district, every building or every staff member can be treated the same. School district governing bodies must approve health and safety plans and submit the plans, tailored to their unique local needs to the state before reopening.
Staggered schedules, outdoor classes and hybrid models combining in-person and virtual learning are among the alternatives being discussed. Built in to every plan are health checks, distancing, required maskwearing, and changes to large group activities like recess and cafeteria lunches,
Transportation is another major challenge in this region of large districts. One school official estimated that if 6-foot distancing was enforced on buses, a district with 70 buses would need to increase the fleet to more than 400.
None of this is easy. As one Montgomery County parent noted, “You are asking me to choose between giving my child a great … education, and putting her physical health at risk. Or giving her, in my opinion, a lesser education and keeping her physically safe. That is not a comfortable choice.”
And it’s not cheap.
Education officials are wondering how to pay for cleaning supplies, staff, computers, cameras and other essentials to their plans. So far, the federal government has not come up with aid, and instead, has said money will be withheld from any school that doesn’t open.
We are beyond the schools opening or not opening debate. Districts are thick into the weeds of figuring this out, and the complexities are mind-boggling. No one is going to get everything they want. The aim must be to put heads together and come up with plans that balance some of these complexities – give children the attention that quality education requires, put in place best practices in mitigating disease spread, and be prepared not only to be flexible with educational practices but to adjust screening and isolation procedures as needed.
Teaching our children well will involve teaching them differently this fall. That process starts with accepting and understanding the challenges. Back to school doesn’t mean back to normal. It’s merely a first step; embrace it with wisdom and tolerance.