As the global pandemic rages on, many Americans are being confronted by an unpleasant truth about the United States: Our country has no social safety net for its most vulnerable, making public schools critical in keeping U.S. children physically, mentally and emotionally safe. Consequently, an increasing number of Americans are now demanding that schools reopen — despite an explosion of new coronavirus cases and daily death tolls of nearly 3,000.
Many teachers do not support re-opening: Not surprisingly, they don’t want to die or to have to set up GoFundMe accounts to pay for their COVID-19-related medical bills. Teachers are well aware of the importance of their role in protecting their students from the brutality of an indifferent society. They are also witnesses to years of our country’s failure to help these same children.
Teachers know firsthand that American kids are going hungry. Every school year, we lay in a stash of granola bars, crackers, and other healthy snacks for our students, so they don’t have to go without food — at least when they’re with us. So where was all the concern for America’s food insecure kids before the pandemic hit?
Teachers have been sounding the alarm on the increase in students’ mental health issues for at least a decade. We’ve been begging for funding that would allow schools full-time social workers and psychologists — or at least for class sizes small enough to enable us to give our students more individualized attention. Where were all these concerns for our kids’ mental health then?
Teachers are mandatory reporters. We must undergo professional development at the beginning of every school year to enable us to identify students in abusive or neglectful living situations. But when we attempt to bring to society’s attention how this type of living situation seems to have increased in recent years, we are ignored and dismissed.
It’s possible that it took the pandemic for many Americans to realize how dire the situation is for so many of its kids. However, the demand to return to the status quo — where public schools carry the societal burden of caring for and about our children — makes us skeptical. Do our fellow citizens really want what’s best for kids? Or do they simply want to go back to teachers doing all the caring, so they can live in ignorant bliss?
For those who truly want to change things for the better, the key is to actually listen to teachers. Listen to us when we tell you that, due to decades of underfunding, it is nearly impossible for most public schools to re-open safely.
Teachers know that we will be in closed rooms, and that our class sizes will probably be too large to maintain the six-foot safe distance. Teachers already spend inordinate amounts of our own money to purchase classroom supplies that our districts can’t provide. So we know how unlikely it is that these same districts can afford to provide us with the proper PPE or safety measures for in-school learning during a pandemic.
Teachers know firsthand that a huge percentage of public schools are old, neglected buildings. We go to work in these buildings everyday, and have done for years. The federal government estimates that at least 41% of school districts in the country have outdated HVAC systems that can lead to “hazardous conditions” — hazardous conditions that don’t even include the novel coronavirus! Teachers know how much worse those conditions would be with the addition of COVID-19.
Yes, Dr. Anthony Fauci did recommend closing bars and opening schools; however, his opinion was based on the COVID scenario in Europe. Unlike the United States, European countries provide their citizens with universal health care, and therefore, easy, rapid access to testing. Europeans also looked out for their fellow citizens by observing precautions such as social distancing and mask-wearing.
Teachers know that Americans, by contrast, don’t have universal health care, and thus less access to testing. In addition, in far too many cases, Americans lack a sense of responsibility to their fellow citizens. A disturbing percentage of our country refuses to wear masks, maintain safe social distances, or even believe in the reality of the pandemic. As a result, opening schools has spread the virus.
So don’t be angry that teachers are finally saying, “Enough! We won’t let you emotionally blackmail us into sacrificing ourselves this time.” Be angry that we live in a country that does nothing to alleviate the suffering of its children. Be angry that we live in a country where citizens don’t care about each other. Be angry that we live in a country in which people believe endangering the lives of their fellow human beings is an acceptable solution to temporary inconvenience.
