Parents, teachers, administrators, legislators, school personnel, and students are all facing the controversy of opening our public schools in the midst of a pandemic. Will our public schools be safe, can the right precautions be implemented to insure that the virus will not be spread, can appropriate instruction be carried out in such a stressful environment? Parents are caught in the middle of trying to balance their own work schedules with the concern to keep their children safe at home. Many businesses have been able to devise new work strategies that provide flexibility for their workers to work from home and achieve the results demanded by their corporate employers. This has not be so easy for our essential workers who do have to leave their homes in order to maintain their jobs. These are the very same essential workers who are struggling to keep their families safe, as they are confronted with the need to send their children to their neighborhood public schools during the day while they do work. A general mandate to ‘open public schools’ is not a one size fits all solution. Some school districts do have the money and resources to provide adequate safety protocols, many others do not. Some schools are in areas not as heavily impacted by the Corona Virus as are some others. All of those who are concerned including parents and students, not just administrators and legislators have to be consulted about the best ways to proceed. Some communities are establishing their own pod schools where a group of families band together to hire educators to instruct their children while they work. Not all families can afford such a practice. Creative solutions are a must right now. Please share your thoughts and concerns, and by all means creative solutions, that could provide the kind of instruction our children need during this pandemic.
