Ambiguities of a mega-ailment
From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com
The big – and controversy-rich -- pandemic issue now seems to be how much to reopen the public schools in a few weeks. But there can be no simple answer, especially because the disease data change daily. How to reopen – all in-person or all-remote or a hybrid -- should depend mostly on each district’s COVID-19 positivity rate and on how state policies are crafted, which can vary widely depending on demographic and political factors. And since in America local property taxes pay for much of schools’ budgets, the ability to open in various ways will also depend on local districts’ taxing and funding capacity as they try to make the expensive interior-design and other adjustments needed for reasonable safety.
I think that there’s been too much fear that schools would be giant COVID spreaders. Might schools, at least well-run ones, be safer places for the students and those they might infect than home, where the kids could mingle with their friends and others much of the day without the mask-wearing and social-distancing supervision of teachers and other school staff? And why aren’t teachers considered “essential workers”? In any event, teachers should be among those who get regular COVID-19 testing.
As I’ve said perhaps too many times, trying to teach all classes this fall entirely on computer screens would be an intellectual, socio-economic and psychological disaster and might even jeopardize physical health more than in-person teaching, at least in some districts. Such classes cannot compare in quality with in-person learning in comprehension and retention, and some families don’t have the computers, reliable Internet connections, tech know-how or other resources to get what full benefits can be had from remote learning. Many kids have already fallen way behind in their learning since the schools were closed in March and superseded by screens, and parents’ attempts to home school, as COVID-19 spread rapidly. A lot of students have lost precious learning time, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.
And let’s face it: Schools also function as day-care institutions, which lets parents go to work to support their families without undue worry. And for families where parents can mostly or entirely work at home, having their children there all the time can make it very difficult to do their jobs. It packs a lot of stress.
Most parents cannot afford to send their kids to private schools, with their usually smaller classes, or hire private tutors and engage in other end runs around the public schools. Some politicians and others will use the pandemic crisis to try to further undermine public schools in favor of private ones that cater to affluent people by means of vouchers, etc. I hope there’s pushback.
Please read this editorial from The New England Journal of Medicine on why fully reopening schools in a few weeks should be a national priority:
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Organizations have made a big show of “deep cleaning” surfaces to, it is hoped, kill the virus. But in fact surfaces are a minuscule threat, and much of the time and money being spent on dramatic “deep cleaning’’ would be better spent on making sure that everyone wears a mask (always have extras available to hand out), closely monitoring social distancing and adjusting, or replacing, ventilation systems so they don’t recirculate the virus through the air. The disease is overwhelmingly airborne.
But wait! Perhaps “demons” are causing COVID-19. Please hit this link.
Hello, World!