The School Discussion Should Be How To "Reopen" In a COVID-19 World
Do we know for sure when a vaccine will be discovered? No.
Do we know even know if people with COVID-19 will become permanently immune? No.
Given that there is no end in sight due in large part to the incredible mismanagement of the Trump administration, the federal government should be honest about these facts, and discuss how to educate kids.
However, Trump can't do this, because he wants to sell this idea that the pandemic will be over soon. So, rather than talking about the tough choices that need to be made, plus the support public schools will need, the Trump administration simply threatens to withhold funding unless schools "open" without any guidance or support for such a reopening.
Of course, since the Trump administration also tries to sell the idea that the virus will be over soon, the natural question is why not just wait out the pandemics for a few months, rather than rush to reopen?
The truth that Trump will not acknowledge is that despite his lies to the contrary, there is no end in sight. COVID-19 is not going to just disappear. Even in the best case scenario where a promising vaccine is found, it will take a long time to vet and inoculate Americans against COVID-19, particularly in the U.S. where even the existence of the disease is continuing to be debated by those on the right. In addition, you have some on the right who will simply refuse to be vaccinated.
Thus, the real dialogue is how do we continue to educate children while protecting their safety and the safety of teachers? Even teachers should be careful of pushing a complete online education, because this opens the door to conservatives seeking to abolish public education. I am sure if we give DeVos an opening, she will say lets shut down schools, hand out chromebooks, let students log on to Kahn Academy, and call it a day.
At least for the next year, 2020-21, I would propose a hybrid solution where 1/2 of the week, students are in school, and the other half they are at home, to reduce the numbers of students at school in order to preserve social distancing. So, students would alternate between 2 and 3 days of in person classes. Also, I would want additional federal funding to promote social distancing efforts in schools, plus guidance with respect to how to run such a program.
Then, see where we are at, as we approach 2021-22. Even if a vaccine is found in early 2021, it will take some time to distribute. Of course, if no vaccine is found and people can get it again and again with a risk each time of dying and being hospitalized, then we will need to discover a new normal or perhaps even consider Wuhan style lockdown if there is no other way.
Unfortunately, we have a President who is incapable of being honest with the American public or showing leadership. On top of that, we have a party that is invested in being anti-science and has no problem with 99 percent of people being exposed to significant health risk even as they gaslight the public and suggest that COVID-19 has already been taken care of.
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