Reopening Public Schools Will Be A Disaster

Teachers have one of the hardest jobs in America. It’s not always what they do in the classroom but it’s also what they do out of the classroom.

Teachers are extremely underpaid and overworked. They are expected to pay for their own classroom supplies and they are charged to deal with parents who expect them to do more for the students they educate than those parents are willing to do for their own children.

But, when I speak to some teachers, I also hear them talk about the rewards of teaching and 100% free essays. They’ll mention the involved parents who support them, the parents who bring in school supplies so they don’t have to go out and spend their own money to buy them and those appreciative students who strive for excellence, always making them proud.

However, the rewards they see from their government are few.

Teachers are often overlooked by activists and their voices are muffled by both state and county leaders. Now, they are expected to go back into the classroom and risk their lives at a time when the Covid-19 virus is at an all time high.

Illustration for article titled Reopening Public Schools Will Be A Disaster
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We live in an age where technology could easily allow teachers to teach our children from home. It’s actually being done now with select classes from county virtual schools. Parents who are worried about kids having social interaction should relax because social distancing right now is the most important and sensible advice we’re getting from our elected and appointed officials.

We, the people, are the masses and contrary to popular belief, we are the powerful. Money and unity can control this situation especially in an election year. Teachers unions and other advocacy groups better funding to be able to stand firmly against those who are making these ridiculous decisions.

Black and Hispanic people are infected with Covid-19 at significantly higher rates than white people. The careless decision to reopen schools is yet another example of the disparities we face as Black and Brown people and the lack of concern for our children during this time is deafening.

Black teachers, in schools that are underfunded, suffer far more. Their income is often less because high density Black schools are suffering from the lack of access to technology, updated books and better facilities than schools that are predominately white.

Those disparities make it difficult for students to perform their best on standardized tests that are connected to the teacher’s bonuses.

This is our problem.

Even if you don’t have children in the school system, please consider this as your problem, too. Your health is also at risk. Your family’s health is at risk. Children are a big and active part of our community, and as silly as it sounds to even have to say this, government should be forced to respond realistically because children are also able to pass this virus to others.

Most importantly, these children are our children and as adults we are their first lines of defense. If we don’t stand with teachers on the issue to keep schools closed until this virus is under control, there will not be any teachers willing to properly educate our children and that has severe consequences on our society.