The topic of physically reopening schools for the scheduled start of the 2020-21 school year is, of course, pervasive especially in the education world. It’s also unfortunate that this topic has become as associated with politics as it has and parents and teachers feel that their state, local, and national leaders are not considering the safety of children, families, and all of the staff members it takes to run the operations of a school. Without trying to take sides, we clearly understand that it would be best for students to be in the classroom five days a week for seven hours a day, but, from a realist’s point of view, we know that there’s much more to it than that. And, the teachers who will be expected to show up every day and put their own health on the line amid reopening procedures know it, too. They’re thinking about so many things at this point in time and we’re simply trying to share some of the potentially overlooked concerns or alternate angles for looking at things.
Immediate Concerns Some Teachers Have
We’ve seen the coronavirus pandemic take its toll on the US for months now and it doesn’t really appear that things are any more under control. With a few weeks left until schools begin reopening in every part of the country, teachers and other school staff members are faced with a whole new kind of anxiety. While they undoubtedly want to be there for their students, meet the new kids they’ll be teaching, and spend days in the classrooms they dream of designing, they don’t all think that’s the best option health wise. Some classroom teachers may have the choice when it comes to whether or not they return to school if it is open, but the reality is that not every one of them does. Some may have to do what their school or district leaders instruct them to do and others might not be financially stable enough to quit—creating even more stress on top of the fact that they could be walking into an unsafe area every day.
On the flip side, however, there are certainly those teachers who feel that teaching and learning remotely will hurt their students and slow the inevitable reopening of schools and a return to normal. It’s certainly true that students probably aren’t learning as much as they could be outside of the classroom and the social connections that are such a huge part of childhood are taking a hit as well. Whether you’re in favor of in-person education or not, the risks are seemingly clear and we’re all pretty much aware of the shortcomings associated with distance learning by now. Placing groups of students and teachers together in a classroom is definitely on the riskier side and, if one student catches COVID-19, remains asymptomatic, and brings it home with them, that’s when the real trouble begins for that student, each of his or her family members, and every classmate, educator they were in contact with, and person that rode on the same bus.
You may have heard this mentioned throughout the teacher community, but there are some educators who are literally spending the summer writing or updating their wills. On top of adding face masks or shields to their back-to-school shopping lists, this has become another contemporary responsibility for teachers. Then, there are those who get furious over the implied connection between the reopening of schools and the performance of the economy. Beyond that, there are, of course, some other small concerns that educators have shared, like wondering how social distancing rules will be enforced and how they’ll get kids to keep masks on all day (especially in early elementary grades). Finally, some teachers feel they’ve been deemed expendable, others are thinking they’re being treated as an experiment, and there are those who can’t wait to return to school no matter what the conditions are. It all comes down to how you feel, it seems.
Everyday School Practices that Will Be Different
The school day as we know it is pretty much a thing of the past—at least for now. If students are lucky enough to physically go back to school this year (or give it a try), the experiences they have will be very different than ever before. Maybe this won’t be a huge deal for younger students who haven’t done the same thing for years, but, on the other hand, maybe they’ll struggle with following all of the rules that are in place for reopenings. The first set of differences start to come into play before even entering the school and have to do with how students will ride the bus. To keep everybody as safe as possible, school bus capacity will need to be limited as students spread out in a staggered formation of one per row on varying sides of the aisle. Bus rides won’t be for everyone, however, as teachers and plenty of others have made it a point to say that the safest way to get to school (for all involved) is to be dropped off by parents.
The manner in which students and teachers enter the school building will be different as well. Physical distancing will need to be in place and, in many locations, temperature checks will be performed as people enter the building, creating a traffic jam outside. In an ideal world, rapid coronavirus tests could be administered to students as they enter the building so that even asymptomatic cases could be identified, but this is pretty unlikely to be implemented in most places—at least for a while. Teachers are worried about parents ignoring warning signs (or simply not taking them seriously) and sending a child to school if they have a simple sore throat or a slightly elevated temperature. Some of them have even suggested to pause the rewarding of perfect attendance or alter the policy to reward children for staying home if they’re worried they might not be feeling quite right.
Educators are also rightfully worried that mask policies will not always be enforced when reopening schools, which can be combated with consistent messaging and holding others accountable. While some educators are planning on using clear face shields instead of masks so that students can see their faces, some experts warn that there’s no clear proof that shields are as effective as masks. In the classroom, education leaders have recommended using a cohort system when possible so that class sizes are trimmed down and the same groups of students are always together. While this is a good safety tactic, it leaves teachers with the burden of trying to strategically create these cohorts or managing whatever ones are created for them—not ideal for teaching and learning. Add in constant sanitizing and the fact that teachers themselves will be responsible for disinfecting surfaces quickly between class periods and plenty of concerns pop up.
Fears About Remote Learning
While there’s a political and, for some reason, an economic angle to physically reopening schools at the start of the year, we’re trying to stay more concerned with the academic side. And, yes, students would be much better off with in-person schooling five days a week. Quite frankly, so would teachers. Getting back into the normal swing of things is certainly the No. 1 desire shared by teachers, administrators, parents, and students—if not for the academic benefits, for the social ones as well. Isolation has undoubtedly taken a toll on both students and teachers and, although we learned a lot about what to do and not to do throughout the spring edition of distance learning, educators still know that it won’t be perfect. Besides inadequate educational experiences and continued periods of isolation, there are plenty of other concerns that have been voiced and, at the top of that list is access.
Many of us take Internet access and easily being able to pick up a laptop for granted. The truth is not every child in the country can say the same. Since schools shut down in March, we realized just how big this problem was and how real the Digital Divide is. It happens for a few different reasons and affects students of different demographics. One group it plagues is those who live in extremely rural areas. It is not uncommon for homes to not have Internet access or for it to be too unreliable for students to use to complete assignments, never mind connect through live video. Then, there are the inner-city students who live in areas with high poverty rates. They, too, tend to see a lack of home Internet access or their parents are unable to afford plans. Seeing this in the spring exposed something we kind of thought existed but didn’t fully understand the severity until we saw it and, though some educators support the idea of airing educational programming on TV to make it more accessible, this hasn't seemed to take off.
Then, there’s the fear teachers have of finding time to create lesson plans, hold classes, meet with students who might need extra help, provide feedback, and, if they’re teaching in a hybrid model while reopening their classrooms, potentially create multiple lesson plan versions. Some teachers also need to spend time tracking students down in order to get them to show up for class meetings or turn in assignments. On top of this, not all students have devices to get online—or they need to be shared among siblings. Hopefully, in many districts, this has at least improved having time to get devices to students over the summer, but it’s certainly a case-by-case basis and no guarantee. Finally, for young students particularly at the kindergarten level, they almost always need a parent with them to keep them on task during class meetings. While it sounds tough, the plus side is there’s less of a chance of getting sick.
Part of the Process
We’re starting to learn more about the plans in the country’s largest school districts, which include remote learning, hybrid reopening, and an attempt at full in-person education. There are those teachers who feel it is too unsafe to fully return to normal and probably plenty who aren’t completely comfortable with going back part-time either. Then, there are others who aren’t concerned about the potential health risks and just want education—as well as the rest of the world—to go back to the old normal. Whatever side you ultimately decide to take, there is one thing that’s consistent among all educators: They expect to be a part of the decision-making process on what education will look like this fall. While some district leaders have gone out of their way to accommodate, this, unfortunately, educators in some places—the very people who will be the most at risk—weren’t even a part of the process.
As it stands right now, 20 of the nation’s 25 largest public school districts have already announced that they will be fully utilizing remote learning at least to begin the school year. For those smaller districts where remote learning is not the first choice, teachers, however, have insights into the day-to-day happenings that, in reality, occur within a classroom. It’s not to say that school board members and local legislators don’t, but, as always, their thoughts aren’t necessarily as aligned with reality as those of the teachers. For many teachers, having the government tell them they must return to the classroom five days a week without assuming any of the physical health risks themselves is unacceptable. Many of them feel that school reopening plans drawn up by state leaders are incomplete and that they were brought into the conversation or, in some cases, to testify at hearings much too late in the game. Even when included, not all teacher concerns wind up in the final versions of agreed-upon plans.
When teachers are left our of these conversations, it has sometimes led to them expressing their frustration to administrators. It doesn’t only come down to whether learning will take place in person or at home, but what learning will look like if it is to take place in the school building in particular and also remotely. If remote, will administrators provide the devices and technology support for students and their teachers? Will they do away with traditional grading and assessment and encourage educators to lead more dynamic, student-centered lessons? And, what about in-person learning? Will proper safety measures be put and kept in place? Will school leaders listen to teachers about the best strategies for helping young children understand that they need to remain physically distant? The bottom line is that teachers know certain things about children and how they might act in a brand-new setting. Those officials who included teachers in reopening discussions did a bit more for them.
Opting Out
Now, for one of the other hot topics surrounding the return to school: Opting out. Besides not always being involved in the discussion processes, many teachers have to then do what their school or district leaders instruct them to do. The alternative to that is to retire, which many of them certainly are. We understand that it would be tough financially on a school district to offer a paid opt-out option for teachers in the same way that NFL players have been opting out of the upcoming season for health concerns. But, at the very least, couldn’t they assure them of their jobs when they’re ready to return to the classroom? Though that could be later in this school year (if all goes well) or next year, it’s just a thought for a possible solution—one that would need a whole lot of hammering out and fine tuning.
Some teachers might already be thinking about why this is not an option for them especially since students in various school districts around the country have been given the option to opt-out of in-person learning. But, here’s the kicker. If their school building is reopening for in-person instruction—whether on a full-time basis or on a hybrid plan—the educators who teach them then have to create lessons and assignments for the students who are exercising their right to stay home and work remotely! So, how does that really help teachers!? On one hand, it exposes them to fewer students and anyone who those students have been exposed to, but it will create a whole lot more work for many of them—making this option seem less and less appealing, especially as time goes on.
But, wait, there is another catch. On top of still creating learning experiences and checking in with students who choose to opt out, some teachers may have to livestream the in-person portion of their classes so that the students at home can follow along. You might think that’s fine since almost every teacher was teaching over the Internet in the spring, but that was a different experience. They weren’t doing so with some students in the same room and others not (one adjustment) and they weren't doing it while standing in a classroom and trying to stay in view of a camera (another adjustment). Then, what if a student in class has a question and students at home get distracted or can’t hear the question? More time wasted with explanations. Not to mention, for this type of reopening, a teacher would have to learn how to record lessons and send them to students or figure out how to livestream everything successfully, which, you guessed it, would take more of their time to test and perfect. So, not only do they not get to opt out, they may once again, be faced with tremendous amounts of work—all for their students. While they may be emotionally willing to help this much, they may also be physically afraid.
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