Opening schools will test state’s leaders
In this summer like no other, some stores are already spotlighting “Back to School” displays. Who knew a sign could seem simultaneously hopeful and sardonic? If anything stands poised to symbolize life returning to normal, it would be the first day of school in Connecticut. Most people would surely like to see that happen, but the COVID- 19 pandemic stubbornly refuses to follow any script.
“We are not going back to normal by any stretch of the imagination,” Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona warned.
Gov. Ned Lamont and his team are wisely trying to give parents and educators time to prepare by announcing Thursday they hope to reopen public schools for in- person learning in September.
It will not — cannot — look like anything we’ve seen before. The shuttering of schools three months ago did not happen gradually. There were no masks or social distancing protocols before students were dismissed.
We’ll see those things, and much more, for the first time in our lifetimes if things go as Lamont plans. Some of the details sound like standard operating procedure, such as maintaining a five- day week and 180- day school year. But try to conjure the image of more than a half a million state students of all ages in masks.
Lamont’s announcement lacks clear details and is at odds with strategies being developed by some districts.
U. S. Rep. Jahana Hayes was blunt about challenging Lamont, a fellow Democrat. As the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, Hayes responded to the announcement with the Facebook post “Am I missing something????”
“I have not been out of the classroom too long to know that this is not realistic and does not instill any confidence. I am hoping that a more substantive plan is forthcoming because I have so many questions and this does not provide an adequate blueprint for parents or teachers,” Hayes wrote.
That blueprint is vital. Cleaning buses routinely won’t scrub away parents’ anxiety at packing their kids into rolling boxes during this crisis.
What we did learn in the spring is that parents will keep their children home if they feel the need. The final plan needs to accommodate for these families, and allow flexibility in different districts. Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent Michael Testani welcomed the concept of returning to school, noting many students have a shortage of home resources. Stamford Board of Education President Andy George complained that the plan is “one size fits all,” and his Norwalk counterpart, Sarah LeMieux, called it “really inequitable.”
The state plan will have to remain fluid as officials monitor COVID- 19 cases in the weeks to come. It has been more than three months since classrooms were cleared, and there are just about two months remaining before they would reopen.
These remaining weeks will test state leaders on math, science and communications, but we strongly advise a cautious approach because this singular event does not offer the benefit of history’s lessons.
That blueprint is vital. Cleaning buses routinely won’t scrub away parents’ anxiety at packing their kids into rolling boxes during this crisis.