Don’t rush reopening of schools

Even though Connecticut has made great progress in controlling the virus to date, the variable of open schools was not part of the equation. As September approaches, many parents are afraid for themselves and their children. Teachers are afraid for the children, themselves and for their own families. We are dealing with an unknown and an unknowable . No one is able to predict what fall might bring or when and if flu season might collide with the coronavirus.

If I were in charge, I would not reopen schools yet. I would be working on a strong plan for the first three months of school with regard to improved virtual education. This might prove to be necessary whether we open schools in September or not. Teachers worked admirably in the spring piecing together virtual instruction with no lead time to organize or prepare. They did a wonderful and difficult job.

But children and parents need organized education and not simply assignments and packets. With no textbooks at home and no scope and sequence of concepts to be covered over a threemonth period, parents were left with a loosely arranged day-byday set of websites, PowerPoints, videos and homework, which was very difficult to delve in to. There was also wide variability among schools and teachers as to how instruction proceeded and what content was covered.

If we implement virtual education this year (as I believe we should until we see how the virus progresses in the fall) I would like to see textbooks distributed to all kids or posted online so that parents could teach from those books. Chapters and pages should be assigned by teachers. Science and math websites could supplement the instruction but should not be used wholesale for instructional content. Parents and children could look in the books for information and procedures.

I also believe that the district should hand out and post an organized curriculum covering three months — a scope and sequence of content and concepts for each grade level — so that parents and teachers are able to use it to instruct the children. This scope and sequence should be coordinated with district texts and should go out in Spanish and English. Teachers could provide modification as necessary for their own students but at least the curriculum would be clear.

I would then use the three months’ lead time to adapt the physical environment in the schools with plexiglass dividers in classrooms and other modifications such as windows that open for ventilation, hand sanitizer stations, posted rules for distancing and safety. Such changes in how we do business might be necessary for years to come. We should get ready now and remain ready. The virus will not magically disappear.

Finally, throughout September, October and November I would watch the flu season colliding with COVID-19 from home where we could all safely wait for a vaccine and/or full statewide and countrywide cooperation in social distancing and mask wearing. Connecticut has almost beaten the virus because Connecticut Yankees follow the rules. But, until everybody in the U.S. does the same, we will live in a world where our children will not be safe in their schools nor will any of us.