I am amazed by the number of people I see fighting for schools to reopen right now. What you see above is not going to work in overcrowded school systems. It most definitely isn’t going to work in America.
Have you spent even an hour around any children? They will not be able to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines.
I understand that it is inconvenient for some parents for their children to have to go to school virtually. However, that’s all it is, is inconvenient. I cannot comprehend that parents are willing to risk children spreading coronavirus and potentially dying to get them back to school.
I go to school online. I know many people who go to or have went to school online. With preparation, virtual learning can be very organized and effective. Unfortunately, when we were initially thrown into a pandemic the online schooling wasn’t very organized.
The thing is, virtually learning is absolutely necessary right now. Why are some expecting teachers to put themselves at risk? Just because they have been inconvenienced? Get over your American entitlements. It is not that big of a deal to go to school virtually. Deal with it.
It is illogical and unkind to expect schools to reopen. It just doesn’t make sense in any way. I’ve heard people say things like “Well the mortality rate is low.” Let’s just say the mortality rate is 1 percent for shits and giggles, it’s probably higher than that but no one really knows for sure what the number is yet. With that percentage, you are looking at over a half a million potential deaths of children if we reopen all the schools. That doesn’t include the teachers or the other people that the children will come in contact with out of school.
If you are okay with taking that risk, you are unfit to be a parent. Sorry, not sorry. That is a fact. Anyone who is okay with risking even one child dying when there is an alternative is insane and needs mental help.
Those are the facts. It doesn’t matter the numbers. We have an alternative. It is inconvenient for some, but it is necessary right now. I don’t care if you agree with it. That really doesn’t matter. What I care about is making sure no teachers or children have to potentially get sick and die because of the ignorant, entitled Americans who are too lazy to parent their children through a pandemic. Get over yourself. Deal with it for the rest of the year like a responsible adult.
Take some personal responsibility
People need to start taking personal responsibility for their actions. This pandemic isn’t fake. It is a very real threat. Regardless of what conspiracy theory you want to throw around today. There are children that have died from this.
Children are not going to wear masks properly in school. And children are not going to practice proper hygiene and social-distancing measures. Have you ever been in a school? It’s not going to happen. Nor should we expect our children to have to do these things. Virtual is the way to go for the safety of everyone.
I refuse to allow selfish and ignorant Americans be the reason children die. Do you know how many at-risk people have children? I’m sure it is a very high number. Are they worth dying too for your selfish desires? Are they worth dying because you don’t feel like having to help your child with virtual schooling.
I don’t care if you have work and can’t do it. Figure it out. It is part of being a parent. Again, it isn’t ideal, but your inconvenience is not more important than the safety of millions of children and teachers.
End rant.
A Short List of Reasons Not to Reopen:
- If we reopen schools, they will most likely shut back down immediately. Cases are going to spread no matter how many temperatures we take or how many masks we give out. Some school systems aren’t even going to enforce masks. Protecting yourselves and others from a virus should not be a choice. Stop confusing oppression or being controlled with you being mildly inconvenienced for the benefit of others.
- Just cleaning surfaces is not enough to stop the spread of coronavirus. We know that COVID-19 can stay in the air for hours. No matter how many times you clean a desk, the floor, or the doorknobs: Teachers are not going to feel safe and students are not going to feel safe.
- Social distancing is not going to work for younger children. It is a ridiculous expectation. As adults, we should guarantee they follow it. We cannot do that if they are at school. Teachers should not have the burden of this. You are the parent. Take responsibility. Do what you have to right now and keep your children safe. The virus is still going to be in the air with or without preventative measures.
- So many people think virtual learning is ineffective. First off, that is false. Second, you are willing to risk in-person instruction, yet there is not going to be any group work or sharing of materials. In-person lectures and virtual lectures are not any different. Student-centered instructional strategies can be implemented virtually using small groups. That is more effective. Online learning will give a greater sense of security and community. I guarantee it will produce better results than socially distanced in-person learning.
- Schools and teachers are never provided with enough basic materials like crayons, pencils, books, etc. A lot of times they are buying what they need for their students. Yet, you really think they are going to have enough PPE for every student. Yeah right. Some students can’t even afford basic materials for school, but you think every kid can supply their own mask.
- Providing an option for families to opt out is a nightmare waiting to happen. Students with families that cannot afford to keep them at home will be forced to send their children to school. Basically, we would be choosing to send our most vulnerable children to school, those who probably don’t have adequate healthcare.
- Teachers and students will die. It is inevitable. COVID-19 will spread in an accelerated manner if we reopen schools. The daily increase of community interactions will cause that to happen. It is highly irresponsible to do so.
For an individual of sound mind, the fact that we have an alternative learning source should be more than enough reason to delay the reopening of any school. I can’t fathom how that isn’t the case.
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This post was previously published on Medium.com.
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Photo credit: Andy Falconer on Unsplash.