Public Education 2020

Posted below is a comment from Hardy Frye in response to this article in EdSource:

There appears to be a moral righteousness attached to those convinced that we can and should open schools safely within 4-6 weeks. This is based on the irreplaceable connections with teachers and the academic and social interactions they provide in those classrooms to support student learning and growth. It is very uplifting that the status of the classroom teacher is recognized for what it is – teachers are worth their weight in gold and invaluable to our society. Hopefully moving on, that status will be operationalized in ways that support the profession!  No one can challenge the urgent need for students to be in school with their teachers and staff wanting intact schools!

However, it is also a moral imperative to be honest about the conditions we are confronting and the need to keep students and adults safe.  In classrooms, 5 minutes can feel like a lifetime- there is so much going on all the time.  Unlike visiting a doctor and getting a haircut, which are static environments, classrooms and schools are highly interactive environments and yet, folks who should know better, talk about them as if they are not.  What seems to have risen to the surface are very vocal advocates of starting the year with in-person instruction with groups of individuals even though it has not been determined safe to visit a salon or meet 1:1 with a physician.  

I am not even going to get into the lack of supplies, lack of national guarantees that any and all staff who contract the virus will not lose salary, the lack of personnel, poor air quality, on and on, because, we can all add to that list of concerns.  Also, consider the trauma caused by having to close a school because of staff or students getting sick; that includes personal and organizational trauma. I very rarely hear that even mentioned.

The bottom line must be safety. Politics, rhetoric and wishful thinking have no place in any decisions about how and when we safely open our schools. Admittedly, our country, unlike many others,  has no collective experience or context for experiencing this type of duress and that may account for our inability to halt the spread and generate unsound conclusions. This virus presents a challenge to our resilience, integrity and commitment to each other. This is a test of how honest do we dare to be.

Until safety thresholds are met, when doctors can see patients, for example, we need to focus on improving internet access, strengthening online learning strategies and family supports while we keep our students, our school staff and our communities safe. Yes, safe from strokes, from neurological, respiratory, other physical and emotional disabilities and even death.  

This is written with deep acknowledgement to those who have lost loved ones, those who are sick and for the safety of our school communities.