Patience, understanding needed for schools
The pandemic has been polarizing, but local leaders want the best for their communities and schools.
Last year was certainly a challenging time for everyone, whether an employer, employee, parent, educator, or a young student learning in a variety of educational settings. It seemed that the 202122 school year would give us a fresh start, and then the delta variant hit.
As we started this school year, 500 school boards across the commonwealth worked to determine the best decision for opening schools in their communities. Guidance from the medical community, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health enable local leaders and school board officials to help guide and make informed decisions. These decisions were based on what is best for the community and the health and safety of the students and staff in the school system. Masks have certainly become the most controversial topic for the local area and nation.
When social media comments from government officials make a comparison of suicide bombers in Afghanistan to individuals in the United States who opt out of wearing a mask, the polarization is very apparent. Evidence of this divisiveness can be seen throughout the county and at the local level.
At the onset of the year, school boards were put in a position to determine what is the solution for the children in their community. Local leaders were left sifting through all the data, community perspectives and recommendations to make the best decisions, putting board members and school officials in a no-win situation.
It ultimately comes down to a layered mitigation strategy and making the decision for their local constituents. The recent Department of Health order requiring masks for education institutions has refueled the debate. The pressure on both sides of the topic is immense.
Contact tracing is a constant challenge for administrators and school districts. For instance, there have been 10 COVID-19 cases across the Brandywine Heights Area School District, which has resulted in over 180 quarantined students due to close contact situations.
The Department of Health has stated, “In the K 12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.”
Regardless of the position on the issue, the mask order will help keep students in school for their education.
As we reflect on last year and the multiple modes of education that occurred, the recurring theme was to get our students back in school. That goal has been accomplished and will continue to be the focus for education institutions this year.
The ‘ask’ is to have patience and understanding. That is difficult with such a polarizing issue with strong views on each side. Local leaders making these decisions and carrying out the orders from the state most likely didn’t run for office for this moment. They want the best for their communities and school systems.
It is easy to share your perspective, judge and comment on social media. How easy is it to see another person’s perspective? Socrates imparted wisdom in a triple filter test; are the comments being made; 1. Truthful 2. Positive 3. Necessary.
My hope is that we can find patience and understanding knowing there are extremely strong opinions on both sides of the issue and respect each other as we move forward as a collective community whether we are talking about masks or whatever challenge is next on the horizon.
“It is easy to share your perspective, judge and comment on social media. How easy is it to see another person's perspective?”